Fujino Lab
by Seigetsu Ren
Summary: ShizNat AU - It's bad enough to still be in college at age 26, but it gets worse when your prof is only 27. To make it double worse, she just failed said prof's course and has to work as her summer student for extra credit. Welcome to the Fujino Lab, Natsuki.
1. Welcome

A/N: First time writing a ShizNat fic, so please give me some feedback. I'm not really sure if this story is worth continuing.**  
**

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-Hime or any of its characters. They belong to Sunrise last time I checked.

Warning: This story is AU and somewhat OOC. Hope you'll still like it nonetheless, because I really like AU ShizNat fics myself.

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**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 1 - Welcome

* * *

_As though this can get any worse…_

Kuga Natsuki finds herself facing her prof's office in the dead of summer. Even with the air conditioning blowing full force, it still feels like an oven.

Rm. 2206 – Fujino Shizuru, Assistant Professor, Department of Biophysics

Her emerald glare lands on the nameplate as though wanting to burn a hole through it.

It's bad enough that she's still in college at age 26.

It's made worse when she finds out her prof is just a year older than her.

And to make it double worse, she just failed said prof's course and has to do some stupid summer project at her lab for credits.

_Screw Fujino. Sadistic bitch gave me a 49 for the final grade…couldn't she have rounded it up?_

Without knocking, she invites herself into the office.

"So what do you want me to do, Fujino?" Natsuki says first thing after stepping into the tidy room, plopping down onto the couch facing the desk. The room's occupant glances up from her laptop with the faintest hint of amusement lining her shapely lips.

"Ara, you must be Kuga Natsuki-san?"

Her eyes meet their crimson counterparts on Fujino, and she finds herself carefully surveying the pale brown locks that cascade down her prof's slim figure.

_Never noticed she's actually pretty for a boring scientist, not that I've been to lectures enough to know that. Well, she's young as they say, that's for sure._

_…why the hell am I checking out my prof? The fuck?_

"Kuga-san?"

Natsuki snaps out of her thoughts to see that Fujino is literally in her face. They're about 5cm apart, at most.

She jumps out of the couch and nearly trips on its legs, completely unaware that a blush has just crept up her face.

"The hell you want, Fujino?" she snaps.

This time, Fujino Shizuru just can't hide the amusement she has found in her student, chuckling as politely as she can manage behind the back of her palms.

What an afternoon.

First, this raven-haired girl barges into her office without so much as a knock.

Then she calls her "Fujino". Seriously? No "hakase" after it? Or at the very least, a polite suffix?

And now she nearly trips on the couch. This is priceless entertainment.

"Oh, I just asked if you'd like tea, Kuga-san."

The brunette prof holds out the cup of steaming green tea in her hands, suggesting if Natsuki would like the same.

"Ugh…sure. Why not."

As the brunette picks out a clean cup from her cabinet to prepare tea, Natsuki's eyes wander around the office. At first glance, it seems quite spacious compared to the other rooms in the building, but a closer look tells that it's just because of the minimal furnishings. It's pretty amazing how so many books can fit so snugly on the towering bookshelf to one side, and how the narrow window sill can be converted into a mini oasis with a tank of tropical fish standing beside a cascade-style flowering bonsai.

"See something you like, Kuga-san?" the voice thick with accent clears the silence in the room. Natsuki shrugs, grabbing the cup of tea from her prof and dropping back down to her seat.

"Nice bonsai. You sure have a lot of time," she answers, deep voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Actually, this brings us back to the topic of our meeting today," Shizuru says, sitting down as well, "About the email I've sent-"

"Yeah, do a summer project and I get a pass, right? Not that I really care about passing your course, but whatever…I'll do it."

_Fuck that old man for making me take summer courses otherwise. Just give me the money, damn it._

At this, Shizuru raises a trimmed eyebrow in mild surprise before settling down for her usual calm demeanour. This is getting way too interesting.

"Yes, about that, I actually haven't decided on a project for you."

"What?" Natsuki shoots up, knocking over her teacup to send hot green liquid pooling over Shizuru's desk. _Crap._

"My, my…I suppose we can start with the table then."

"You can't be saying…"

"Cleaning the table. Then, you can help me trim my bonsai."

_You fucking kidding me? This is my project for passing Physics 101?_

* * *

They say "directed studies" is a pretty name for "free labour".

But Natsuki at least thought it'd be free labour related to the course she just failed. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Not that she really cares about the course content, so whatever.

After cleaning the table, they spent two hours on the bonsai. At least the burning sun seems as exhausted as she is now and has settled down on the horizon.

Still, it's baking. Not the scorching hot of afternoon, but a humid, stuffy dusk.

Sitting on that same chair, in front of that same desk, is her young brunette prof, sipping on the umpteenth cup of green tea she has witnessed since she has stomped into the office.

How Fujino Shizuru can spend all this time on the table and the bonsai alongside her new "directed studies" student, or rather **slave**, is questionable. Doesn't she have to do some actual…work?

As much as Natsuki is telling herself that she really doesn't give a shit, she's actually a little curious.

"Ara, Natsuki. Is there something on my face?"

_Shit._

Natsuki is flustered that she has been caught staring, even more so when her prof just blurted out her first name without even asking.

_Damn Bitch._

"A tea leaf, Fu-ji-no," she lied blatantly with special emphasis on the surname. There it goes again, her prof's smile widening while the older woman sits her chin onto the back of her palms._ What's that supposed to mean anyway?_

"Shizuru is fine."

This catches her off-guard, and she finds herself just staring, again.

"It is customary for lab members to be on first name basis. Doesn't it feel nicer to do away with the formalities and work in a more homey environment?"

Homey…

Home…

_Damn it, why am I thinking about this now._

_To hell with that Fujino._

"'Kuga-san' will do just fine with me," she retorts, really poorly imitating the smooth accent Shizuru uses, earning her a chuckle. She tries to give her most angry glare at the brunette before turning on her heels to leave, "You said it's a 9-to-5 arrangement and it's 5 now, so I'm heading out."

"Alright. Ookini."

She stops, turning ever so slightly to look behind her. The setting sun is casting a golden glow on the chestnut hair, and at that moment, the crimson orbs appear warm.

"And welcome to the Fujino Lab, Natsuki."

* * *

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Small Talk

A/N: Thanks nomask, bebz, MomoXIXI, Zona Rose, aya 1920, noah114, PostoronnimV, hobli, Reviie, Sibyl-6, valia, dfghj, gaths10, and Guest for the kind comments, and thank you everybody for reading. Last but not least, a huge thanks to Inhumunculus on the grammar tip; I'll try not to slip into past tense too much, though I sometimes struggle with whether to keep tense consistency or perspective consistency. I seriously need a beta to discuss this issue with. Anyways…

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mai HiME.

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**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 2 – Small Talk**  
**

* * *

Natsuki wakes up to the irritating ring of her cell. The night is dark, but still not dark enough – it's only 9pm after all.

"Damn, who the fuck is calling?"

She crawls out of the tangle of blankets to reach for the offending object vibrating its way down her drawer. She manages to catch it before it falls into a bowl of half-finished cereal milk sitting oh-so-conveniently right by her bed.

Must've been one particularly tiring afternoon when she chucked down her breakfast while half asleep. Actually, given the hour, it's probably better known as lunch.

Right, that one particularly tiring afternoon was this afternoon, when she had an appointment with a certain Dr. Fujino Shizuru at the ungodly hour of 2pm.

So who the hell is intruding into her sleep this time?

"Hello?"

"Natsuki?"

The deep male voice jolts the raven-haired woman awake. As gentle as its tone sounded, she can't help but cringe her eyebrows in anger.

"Yeah, it's me." _And what do you want?_

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm sorta busy here, so if there's nothing else, I'm hanging."

She's trying so hard to suppress the boiling emotions in her chest. It has been years. It has been long enough for her to forget, to move on with life – everybody tells her that, and this man probably thinks she got over it too, but she just can't.

It's hot. It's still so damn hot. What the fuck is with these summer nights?

_Damn global warming._

"Natsuki..." his voice pleads, but he just lets her name trail off his tongue. There is a pause as he tries to gather a new train of thought, only to come up with the lamest two words to say, "I understand."

_Like hell you do, Old Man._

"Sure, then I'm hanging. Later-"

"Wait, Natsuki!"

_What now?_

"Yes?"

"I just called to see if you...err...met with your prof about the summer project."

"Yeah, I did."

"How did it turn out?"

_What does he want to know anyway? How I trimmed Fujino's bonsai and she praised me for a beautiful job?_

"Was interesting."

Another pause. He probably knows she's lying, but that's exactly what she intended.

He's making her life difficult. He's caring about her future, and that's something she doesn't need.

She just needs the money.

After this ordeal is over and done with, she'll truly move on with life – a life without him.

Really, this is part of his own atonement too, but he doesn't seem to notice. Right, he probably doesn't know he made a mistake, not that this self-righteous man would ever admit to any for that matter.

"Natsuki, I'm worried about you."

"I know." _But like I care._

"You need those credits to advance into second year with good academic standing..."

"Right."

_Now shut it and go back to fucking that woman of yours and just leave me alone._

"Work hard then. I'm sure you can do it."

"Thanks." _Ha, ya right._

She doesn't wait for him to answer and just cut off the line. Isn't the word "thanks" so miraculous? You can end any conversation politely with it even if it doesn't mean a damn.

A minute has passed while Natsuki just sits on her bed, thinking. Maybe she's being naïve. Maybe she should just forget about everything and live like a responsible adult anybody her age should be.

Not that she knows anybody her age who is actually a responsible adult. Legal age is just a convenient legal definition after all.

Time passes without anything changing when things aren't given closure.

The nightmares are still fresh in her mind as though it all happened yesterday.

At least he doesn't call back. She doesn't want to, doesn't **need** to be reminded.

The clock is ticking towards 9:10. Still way too early for things to begin, but maybe a walk will do its thing for her – clear her mind a little.

She exits her apartment and makes her way down the stairway to the car-park. It stinks like an undergrad party – fresh puke and weed with a touch of strong, cheap liquor. Such is the wholesome life on a beautiful campus. And to prevent such wholesome lives from spiriting away her motorbike, she has locked it right beside the 24-hour security office. For extra measure, she has once tracked down a couple dimwits daring to pull a "Hayao Miyazaki classic" and gave them a good beating they'd never forget even on their high.

She unlocks the compartment to retrieve her helmet, strapping it tightly before climbing onto her bike. Satisfied with the loud rumble of engine upon ignition, she kicks off and speeds through the lot into night.

It's quiet on the highway connecting Fuuka University to town, the narrow, dimly-lit road almost devoid of traffic as it swings past dark, forested no-man-land. Orange streetlights appear at the end of a 5-minutes-ride; she takes the cue to merge onto a busy lane.

This is where it all happens – good ole downtown. The buildings are stark contrast to campus, old and rundown but full of life. Crumbling balconies shoved with wilting plants, rusting air-cons perching loop-sided on equally rusting walls. Neon signs colour the atmosphere, lights dancing on trash-lined sidewalks, drunks swaying with the rhythm of flickering shadows. She stops by an ATM she knows isn't rigged and jams her card in to check her balance. A new number greets her on the chequing account. It seems like the old man has sent her some for tonight's chats.

She draws a couple ten-thousand-yen bills and sticks them in her tight jeans pocket, making sure she can feel the lump before hiding it under her jacket. A glance at her watch says it's not yet 10, but she gives up on the walk – not gonna stroll with a wad on her, she needs to get somewhere familiar before it vaporizes without her knowing.

She gets on her bike again and rides back to the street. It's hard to speed with so many cars around, so she'll just have to settle for the stale breeze. Her destination is only a few blocks away; even at snail-pace she manages to get there in a couple of minutes. She pulls up to an empty space on the roadside facing directly into the establishment of her choice – _The Pub_.

Many may think it's a fucking boring name, but _The Pub_ is really **the** pub of the city. It doesn't need anything flashy. In fact, the four damn walls seem to fit just fine. Chipped chairs and tables nobody bothered repainting are tossed unceremoniously over the place. Gives it character, she muses, forgoing them for a seat at the empty bar.

There is a broken record playing in the background, some old jazz that goes on for two lines before sizzling out and looping back to the same two lines. Nobody pays attention to it anyway – when the place is occupied just the clinks of glass on wood is enough to drown it all out. Now, though, there is nobody. Just a dark-haired bartender with fake glasses showing off her boobs.

"What's on, Harada?" Natsuki addresses the woman.

"Whatever's on your ass, Kuga. What time do you think is it?"

"Chill. Things are gonna start rolling in about fifteen minutes, I'm not that early."

"Fifteen is a lot on _The Pub_ time, or have you forgotten now that you're working with some PhD."

"Drop that, Bitch. I don't need to remember."

"What, your new boss is ugly?"

"Quite the contrary, really," she mumbles, only to have Harada Chie lean over the bar to stare down at her face. "There's no damn thing interesting to look at, Harada. Back off before I slap you."

"Hey! No bitch-slapping, Baby," Chie laughs, jumping away from Natsuki's reach, "But if she's hot, get her number for me."

"Sure, in a million years maybe, if your girl doesn't strangle you before then."

At the mention of her girlfriend, Chie displays a face of true terror.

And at that very moment, the aforementioned brown-haired, blue-eyed girl walks in with a trio behind her, a questioning look crossing her cute, puffy face.

"Oh hey, Natsuki. Has been a while," Senou Aoi greets, "talking about something interesting?"

"Nothing much. And it really hasn't been a while, I just didn't come in last night."

"An entire night is a lot for a regular like you," one of the trio waitresses, Suzuki Miya, says while she adjusts her side ponytail. It still looks really funny; maybe she can use some gel to get those stubborn spikes down.

"Can't help it. Had things to do. You seen Nao?"

At the mention of "Miss Fuuka", as they like to call the most famous stripper in town, Chie flashes Natsuki a slick smile.

_She's having fun._

"Yuuki says she has work tonight. **All** night."

_No wonder. Must've been itching to spread this around the mill._

"I thought full service cost some bucks. Who's the rich man this time?"

Chie shrugs, "Some Swiss banker apparently. Boring douche."

Natsuki doesn't doubt the douche part, but boring? She begs to differ. This is the spider, Yuuki Nao, they're talking about. She ain't settling down for anything dull.

Something's up with this banker and she knows it.

"Oh, talking about Nao, she left a message for you last night," Aoi takes over, gesturing to a corner of the bar, "She's got a dude you might find interesting. Not really a regular, but comes often enough. Always sits here."

It takes a moment for Natsuki to remember, but surely, a man's face drifts up from her recollections. Small eyes, thick brows, wears these circular spectacles more fake-looking than Chie's. Sometimes he'd hide behind a green fishing hat, but even when not, he blends in with the crowd of middle-aged men frequenting the pub.

"His name?" Natsuki asks. Aoi shakes her head.

"Yamada. But like hell I'd believe that."

Well, even she has used an alias, Kruger, when she was just 16. As soon as you start floating around the stinking cesspool of Downtown Fuuka, you've got to learn how to swim.

"Sure. I'll stick around for him then."

At that, Chie leans in uncomfortably close again, a playful smirk lighting up her rumour-monger face. Natsuki glares.

"What now?"

"You're into old dudes?"

"Fuck you, Harada. I'm not interested in **that **way."

Harada tries to giggle, only to sound like a lecherous geezer going _har har har_.

"She must be jealous," another waitress, Ichinose Sayuri, says while imitating Harada's poor excuse for laughter. Sayuri is anything but small or lily-like, a tall, sturdy blunette sporting short, gelled curls.

"Oh, and I thought you were into my boss just a second before, Fickle Woman," Natsuki adds with a grin, noting the interesting change on Aoi's face from serene to unhindered anger. She can swear that Senou looks scarier than a nuke.

"No way! There is no such thing, Aoi. That bitch is just kidding..."

Chie's voice fades into oblivion.

* * *

It's about 11 before the corner seat becomes occupied by the man of question. On a busy night as this, Natsuki nearly misses him walking through the door and silently settling down on the battered couch behind her.

She casts a side-glance at him as he picks up a beer and sips lightly on it, almost like Fujino sipping tea. He's a cross between refined and rough, dressed modestly in a grey shirt and green vest, but showing off enough tanned muscle to make her doubt him for a common worker. His long, coarse black mane is tied in a loose braid that dangles down his crouching back.

"Yamada, I take it," she starts, slipping a bill into the man's vest when nobody is looking. He quirks an eyebrow but doesn't seem too surprised, sliding his hand into the pocket to feel the expensive paper within.

_He's checking out how much I'm giving, heh..._

"What'd you like to know, Miss?" his smooth tenor sounds. It is not without an edge though, she notes.

_Dangerous, but I like it. _

_That's the kind of man I need to chat with._

"Whatever Nao thinks I'm interested in. I'm sure you've met her."

He nods lightly, staring into his drink as though he doesn't even know she's there.

"Yuuki Shiori-san and Kuga Saeko-san were coworkers..."

"And?"

"They worked at NLPS. You know that place?"

Natsuki snorts. Of course. National Laboratory of the Physical Sciences, the largest, most advanced research facility on the continent, located in their neighbouring country of Schwartz.

"You can find that on the public domain; it's worth no shit."

Yamada smiles, "When Yuuki-san quit from NLPS and returned to Fuuka, Kuga-san gave up custody over her daughter to her divorced husband."

_Gave up custody? But I thought...she lost it in court!_

"Needless to say, her daughter was relocated to Fuuka to join her ex-husband."

This is no big news. Like what Yamada said before, it's stuff you can find on the public domain, but Natsuki is slapping herself for not tracing this path.

"What are you implying?" she growls.

"I won't imply anything, per say, but it would seem like Kuga-san arranged for Yuuki-san and her daughter to **escape** back to Fuuka."

"Escape?"

"It'd be better if you don't dive too deep, Miss," the man mutters. Natsuki takes it to mean he wants more cash, so she tries to stick another bill into his pocket, only to have him refuse it.

"How much more do you want?"

"It's not the money, Girl. I'm an honest businessman; I won't charge twice for the same good. Nao-san has already paid for this bit, so I'll tell, but I just want to warn you – it's for your own good to stay out of this."

"You're nosy for someone doing this shit," she snaps. A flash of pain lights up his shadowed face, but it flickers away as quickly as it set in.

"Yuuki-san passed away a year after she returned to Fuuka. A car-crash into the lake, it says on paper, but when I tried to dig up the investigation files, they're missing."

"Who was in charge of the case?"

"Some guy called Itou. He's clean, I looked him up. Just got some money out of it, along with the others involved. Besides, the guy is dead. He was 63 at the time, and it was a witnessed heart attack. I won't call it suspicious."

_Just 'cause you say he's clean doesn't mean he really is. I'll have to look this one up myself._

"So who paid him?" she asks. He shakes his head.

"I'm still looking into it. That's my deal with Nao-san."

Natsuki takes a gulp of cold beer to sort out her thoughts, mindful that she doesn't over-drink because last thing she wants is to die in a fucking crash when she isn't even racing. She can just picture Nao laughing her ass off at her funeral.

"You know anything about Kuga then?"

"The files say it's a lab accident. Pricked herself with a contaminated needle, caught the virus, died in hospital. It's uncommon, but not unheard of in her line of research. Autopsy matches the story."

_Pricked herself or got pricked. That's the question._

"I don't quite buy it unless I see evidence, especially after what you said about Yuuki."

"The evidence will go two ways," Yamada replies, lifting a finger from cold glass, "One, evidence of anybody involved. Who'd have access to the virus, the equipment used to deliver it, and the chance of getting close to Kuga-san undetected. People will always leave a trail, so it's possible to sniff it out."

She ponders, then shoves the bill into Yamada's pocket, "Deposit. Now, what's the second way?"

This time, Yamada doesn't refuse, only lifting up a second finger from his mug, "The second type of evidence is purely academic. For a biological agent to be weaponized, you first have to know what it's capable of. If, indeed, somebody used the virus as a tool of murder, he'd have to know the lethal dosage and how to contain it. If Kuga-san pricked herself in a biosafety cabinet and she just got unlucky that it was enough to kill her, very well, but if somebody pricked her outside, it's not so simple. Is it even possible to carry around the virus in waiting without getting infected? That's a question an expert can answer, not me."

"Then what's the virus and who'd know about it?"

There is a click as Yamada gets out his pen and jots something down on a napkin that he passes onto Natsuki's seat, "AAV-20, an adeno-associated virus. An internet search should turn up some useful papers. I'm no scholar, so I'm sure you can do a better job."

AAV-20 and Itou.

That seems to be enough for the night. She has work tomorrow after all.

"Nice chatting with you. The bill is on me," Natsuki ends, heading to the counter to pay for their rounds before exiting the establishment.

* * *

9am is way too early in the morning to wake up.

Wait…9am…waking up…

…isn't she supposed to be at Fujino's office by 9?

_Crap._

Natsuki scrambles through her clothes pile and slips on a hoodie over her dirty orange shirt from last night before heading out, not even bothering to brush her teeth. Thankfully, her apartment is across the street from the research building where Fujino's office is situated, so if she runs at top speed, she can get there in a minute.

And she does.

"Ara, Natsuki, you look like you had a lot of fun last night," Dr. Fujino remarks the moment her office door flies open to the side, revealing a panting student in obvious disorder. Her raven hair is a tangled mess, moping over a face caked with half-dried drool.

"Not a word, Fujino," Natsuki growls, only to be answered by a similar rumbling tone from her stomach.

_Stupid bag of acid…traitor!_

She glares, and Fujino just plasters the usual calm smile on her face as though nothing happened. But Natsuki can see the quivering corner of her lips. She's trying to hold it in.

_Dare laugh, Fujino, and I'll kill you._

"That reminds me, I haven't had breakfast yet. Would you like to buy me something from the Café?"

The brunette fishes out a scarlet wallet from her purse and digs up some bills from the compartment to hand to Natsuki. The younger woman inspects the money now in her hands.

_Four thousand yen for breakfast? _

_Ha, just you wait and see the awesome meal I'll get ya._

* * *

**Omake -**_ just because I need my daily dosage of pointless ShizNat fun..._

"Say, Fujino, what's a biosafety cabinet?" the raven-haired girl grumbles her question. Her prof leans in closer, looking deep into her emerald eyes.

"Are you interested?" her silky accent vibrates by her ear.

Natsuki's face lights up like a traffic light, from yellow to red, then switching down to green.

Too little oxygen.

She can't breathe when Fujino is so close to her - every breath is laced with the brunette's sweet perfume.

Natsuki leans back as casually as she can, glad that Shizuru doesn't follow. She needs the space to cool down.

Damn summer.

Wait, is she really glad?

"About a biosafety cabinet…" Shizuru's voice trails off while she points a finger on her chin.

"Yes?"

"It's a place where you lock your most beloved student."

A pause.

Then Natsuki's face bursts into a beautiful array of colours…again.

_Ara, so cute…_

"Just kidding. Natsuki-chan couldn't have thought I was serious?"

"Natsuki**-chan**?"

She's squealing.

This is too much for her.

"Actually, a biosafety cabinet isn't really a cabinet," she continues calmly, sparing Natsuki further embarrassment, "It's an enclosed bench, open on one side for the operator to reach her hands in to work with the contained specimen. There is usually an adjustable glass panel separating the operator from the bench which needs to be held at an appropriate sash height in order to maintain the controlled air circulation within the device. As the air inside is passed through a HEPA filter before release, the operator is protected from potentially harmful agents in the generated aerosols. There are three broad classes of biosafety cabinets, ranked based on the level of protection they offer. Only class III cabinets are completely enclosed, with attached gloves for the operators to use."

Natsuki rolls her eyes. She can hardly follow the long speech.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just go take a look in the lab next time."

"Or wiki***ia! Ara…such beautiful images…"

"Anyways, Fujino," she tries to get Shizuru's attention by waving a hand in front of the lovely crimson eyes…

…_wait…lovely?_

…and she shakes off any perverted thought she doesn't admit having and continues, "So what is an adeno-associated virus?"

Shizuru tips her head to the side, "Sorry…I'm a physicist. I don't really know."

_But didn't she just answer the question about a **bio**safety cabinet?_

"Wait, what happened to the **bio** in **bio**physics?"

"It's for decoration…" Shizuru's voice trails off while her eyes glance out the window, "Ara, a flying harisen!"

"Where?"

**Smack**

"You're supposed to say 'nande-yanen', Natsuki-chan!"

But she's already unconscious.

**Lesson 1:** your really sexy biophysics prof can smack you with a harisen out of thin air. Nande-yanen.

* * *

**End of Chapter 2 **_– and reviews are appreciated!_


	3. Coffee Break

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had some issues with the plot to sort out in my head, thus resulting in the delay. In exchange, this is a longer chapter compared to the first two, containing quite a bit more info as well. Hope it doesn't read too much like a mind dump.

My thanks to BlackRoseWolfen, Icy-Windbreeze, ZonaRose, bubble . duckie, PostoronnimV, Honulicious, xxxbluewolf, and all the guest reviewers for their kind comments, as well as everyone else for reading. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I still don't own _Mai HiME_.

* * *

**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 3 – Coffee Break**  
**

* * *

There is only one café in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Building (NSERB) – the Café Scientifique.

It is situated in one of the atria on ground floor, surrounded by decorative stone walls glowing a dim orange from the electric fireplace's light. Because it is the only eating establishment in the building, and because Natsuki has quickly learned that researchers are too lazy to even cross the street to get much cheaper food from an adjacent building, the Café is busy day and night.

To give it some merit, the food quality is decent, and the chairs in the small shop are big, soft and comfy. There aren't many choices on the menu, usually in the form of Set Meals A, B, and C, but the element of mystery behind the revelations of each day has lured the building's many scientists to go "discover the answer". As such, on this weekday morning, like all others, there is a line-up extending all the way out the patio onto the sidewalk.

"What the hell is this? Discount bento boxes for 500 yen?" Natsuki grumbles, glaring at the back of the person's head in front of her. She's pissed. And she's real hungry. And she just wants to tell all those nerds to do some exercise and walk across the street so that she can buy her meal.

Her extra-special meal for Fujino. Heh.

"Yo, Natsuki. 'Sup?" says a low, but really jumpy voice. There is no easy description for his tone other than that he sounds like he's straight out a shounen anime.

"A little too early for that hot-blooded shout don't you think, Tate?"

Her eyes scan up and down the a-little-too-old-for-a-delinquent figure in front of her. Tate Yuuichi, General Sciences freshman just like Natsuki, also age 26. He's tall and big, sporting a loose white shirt and orange vest matching the dye on his spiky hair, except he's too cheap to dye his entire head – the sideburns are an awkward hue of bright brown. One may think it's impossible to have a brown that's bright…but that's an answer for Tate alone to give.

"Aw, come on. You've gotta start a day with a big smile. See?"

"Sorry, I don't want to see your grin that looks like a lecherous pervert's," she replies before he can widen the smile that's already occupying most of his lower face, turning to read the billboard that is finally within their view. It's the breakfast menu.

A – grilled cheese sandwich with chicken salad

B – ham and mushroom omelette with blueberry muffin

C – strawberry pancake with cinnamon bun

"What the hell is with the menu today? All western food. Don't they have curry rice?" Tate complains loudly, grinding his teeth, "Damn that Tokiha. I bet she's against me."

"Tokiha?"

"Yeah, Tokiha Mai, the chef of this place. I can understand some western choices because there are so many foreigners here, but not even a single native dish-"

"Curry isn't really native," Natsuki can't help but interject, only to be ignored.

"I'd kill for beef curry with an extra helping of carrots. Oh, and serve the rice with natto. Plain awesome."

"Really now…natto with curry rice…"

"It's definitely Tokiha's fault. Damn it!"

"Right, right…" _he isn't even damn listening to me._

There comes a long string of Tate's ramblings until he finally decides to pay attention to the obviously uncaring Natsuki in front of him. He stares down curiously at her, surveying the drool-covered face.

"Natsuki, where were you yesterday?"

"Many places. What're you talking about?"

"You look like you got really drunk and skipped work like skipping classes."

Oh, so this is where Tate is going. It finally dawns upon her.

"Dude, I didn't skip work. I met with Fujino. Drinking came after, and I wasn't fucking drunk."

Tate quirks an eyebrow.

"I didn't see you in the lab."

"Blame Fujino. She made me trim her bonsai. Wasn't that how you started?"

Tate Yuuichi is another student of Dr. Fujino's, after much begging on his part to pass the course. After all, he wants to get a MD, and can't really afford a big fat 'F' on his transcript.

Doctor? Tate?

Just thinking about it makes Natsuki want to laugh out loud.

_Yeah, fat chance with that generic science-student dream, Dumbass._

She holds back her inner comments though. It's thanks to Tate that she managed to land a place in the lab as well, not that she really likes it here per say. Still, it'd only be trouble if she gets kicked out of university.

There go her resources to continue investigating.

"I haven't really seen much of Prof. Shizuru actually," Tate answers after much thought, stroking his unshaven chin with a finger.

"Really? Then what have you been doing for the past week?"

"I'm working with Reito-san, the lab manager. Have you met him?"

Natsuki shakes her head while Tate continues.

"Nice guy. Knowledgeable and makes a great pal. You'll like him."

"Only if I can actually do some lab work. I guess that Fujino has something against me then."

She growls in her mind, swearing that she'll make Fujino's breakfast even more "enticing" than initially intended.

"I think she just hasn't planned out anything yet. From what Reito-san has told me, she's pretty easy-going."

"You mean to say she doesn't really do her job, right? I haven't seen her do shit except drink tea. What's with having a full set of custom ceremony equipment in her drawer? I swear one of these days she's gonna come to work in a kimono going 'ara ara, I think it's a nice day for koicha.'"

Before Tate can react to Natsuki's profound statement about their prof's general magnificence, they are rudely interrupted by an irritated voice.

"Who the hell is next in line?"

Natsuki steps forward to the cashier who is perched onto the counter, showing only a mass of red hair. When she raises her head to land a bored glance at the Raven, she shows off a pair of half-opened olive eyes.

"Err…I want a Set A…if you don't mind."

"Yeah, whatever…Set A, Mai!" she shouts into the kitchen, before returning her attention to her customer, "What else?"

"Extra mayonnaise please."

"We don't do extras here," she bluntly rejects, "That'll be 700 yen. And who's next in line?"

"Wait!" Natsuki stops, pushing Tate back, "I'm willing to pay double."

The olive eyes start shining.

"Sure," she turns back to the kitchen once more, "Pass me a bottle of mayo too, Mai."

Something tells Natsuki that the cashier is going to pocket the extra cash. She can only try to convince herself that it's an illusion.

"Oh, and what do you want to drink, Tate?"

"Huh?" he makes a dumbfounded sound. "Why?"

_Because you and I are said to have the strangest taste in food? I think people just can't fully appreciate the fact that mayo is the highest pinnacle of culinary excellence._

Still, as she squirts half the bottle of mayo onto the sandwich, and the other half adorning the salad, even she starts wondering if it's just a tad bit too much.

_Mayo is definitely the highest pinnacle of culinary excellence. Fujino must learn to understand such a simple truth._

"No particular reason, Tate. Just tell me what you want."

"Err…then hot coffee…"

_Excellent for a baking summer day…heh heh_

"…with an extra three shots of espresso," Tate adds.

"Alright. Ma'am, I also want a steaming-hot cappuccino with three extra shots of espresso," Natsuki says to the cashier, then after some thought, decides to add, "Actually, make that five shots. Thank you."

"Are you serious? I can't do five shots!" Tate complains.

"Not saying it's for you," Natsuki answers.

"You serious about the five shots? It's not really cappuccino anymore…" the cashier asks with suspicion etched on her face, combined with a curious mix of indifference. Natsuki only nods with a lopsided grin.

_This is gonna be amazing._

* * *

And Fujino's face is utterly priceless.

The crimson eyes are transfixed on the sandwich she has in her right hand, watching as white mush drips out between the pieces of bread with even the slightest pressure applied.

"Now, Dr. Fujino, you aren't a brat anymore so don't play with your food," Natsuki chides in amusement. It's her best comeback to date, so good that she feels the urge to add a point to her mental scoreboard.

_This makes us even for the bonsai!_

"Umm…Natsuki-chan?"

"Don't call me whatever-chan…but yeah?"

"Did you get this at the Café?"

"Duh. You think I'd cross the street for your abusive errand? Not gonna happen, Ma'am."

"So…exactly what is this?"

"Grilled cheese sandwich, obviously."

Fujino Shizuru's face tells Tate, their spectator, that there is no obviousness in the information, and the other poor undergrad cannot help but agree with his PI's sentiment.

"Yuuichi-kun. Care to tell me where is the sandwich part of this…umm…_sandwich_? I feel as though my fingers have sunk into a sea of…err…delicious mayo."

Tate scratches his head and grins, "That's Kuga for you. It's not a mayo cheese sandwich, but mayo with minimal cheese and sandwich, if you know what I mean."

After much scrutiny at her so-called "breakfast", Shizuru puts it back into the Styrofoam container and passes it to her raven-haired student.

"I would hate to waste such…products of culinary excellence, so would you like to enjoy them in my stead? I am sure you can better appreciate the tasteful arts."

"Only if you'd have the coffee, Fujino. Otherwise it'd seem like I'm doing a bad job of just getting you breakfast. Hate to be a bad slave…I mean, summer student, ya know?"

Something about what Natsuki just said makes Shizuru lift an eyebrow in suspicion. She cautiously takes the paper cup with both hands and brings it to her lips, lightly sipping on it as she usually does with her tea.

Surprisingly, to both Natsuki and Tate, their prof downs the mouthful and stares back at their inquisitive gazes.

"How was it?" Tate asks.

"Interesting drink. I taste milk but it's subtle. The start is overwhelming with chocolate and caramel, then leaves a fruity aftertaste…" her voice trails off as Tate's jaws fall and Natsuki turns around suppressing her laughter, "is something wrong?"

"No…nothing. Enjoy the fruity drink then. Glad you think it's delicious," Natsuki answers, "Mind if I borrow Tate for a bit? I'd like to finish your sandwich in the eating area."

Without waiting for an answer, she begins hulling the big guy out the office. The prof can only smile while taking another mouthful of the nice drink, though her scientific training is warning her to remain skeptical of the rather dark-coloured liquid she is consuming.

"See you in a bit then, Natsuki. And shall you get mayonnaise on your cheeks, I would suggest wiping it off with a wet towel."

"What the…?"

"Drool, Kuga," Tate whispers, "She's hinting that you wipe off the dried drool, Baka."

* * *

The eating area of NSERB's second floor is set adjacent to the offices, separated from the labs by heavy double doors. As Natsuki and Tate swing them open to step past the entryway, they are greeted by a much unwelcome gush of hot, humid air. So much for being the most expensive building on campus; they have to cheap out on air-con where it doesn't ruin experiments – just appetites.

Still, Natsuki muses that it is rather difficult to ruin her appetite for mayo. She can never have enough.

"You sure you should've done that to Prof. Shizuru?" Tate remarks while plopping himself onto one of the cushioned couches provided. Natsuki joins him across the low wooden table, starting on the "sandwich" while staring down a pot of toppling cactus. How the scientists can kill a cactus by dehydration she has no idea.

"She seems to enjoy it. The coffee, I mean."

"Right…" Tate's answer trails off, "until the caffeine hits her at any rate."

"I doubt she has caffeine allergies when she fills her bladder constantly with tea," she snaps, inwardly admitting that despite the fabulous aroma of mayo, she's feeling just very slightly sick. It forces her to put down the "sandwich" momentarily while she composes her next sentence, "Anyways, back on topic."

"And what topic is it that made you drag me here?"

"It's been a while since you've told me of Garderobe."

Garderobe is a biker gang Tate and she once belonged to, back in the days when she went by the alias of Kruger. That was when they were in their late teens going on early twenties, having narrowly passed high school and, for various reasons, found the need to be criminal. Granted, Garderobe is one of the cleaner gangs, so to speak, primarily into so-called security services, smuggling, and information broking. All euphemism, of course, but doesn't stop the fact that there are much worse going on in the Fuukan cesspool. To give it some credit, Garderobe does hold a variety of legal businesses, and she dealt most heavily in those.

Which is, in all practicality, a **problem**.

Not that Natsuki has, at any point in her life, wanted to be truly criminal. No, hurting innocents has never been her style, though one has to wonder if anybody dealing with Garderobe can be counted as one. Still, her purpose has always been singular – to find out what ripped her life apart on that fateful day, roughly a year after she was torn away from her beloved mother. Their separation had been hard, but for that long year, she had endured with the hope, or certain promise rather, that they would meet again. Not once had she expected the tragic news her new guardian divulged – her mother would never come back to her.

It was an accident, he had repeated, but she could not believe it. She still cannot believe it. She'd be a fool to fully neglect that small part of her that does, in fact, believe in what seems to be a logical conclusion of the coroner's findings. Her mother's death was witnessed in the form of days of hospitalization leading to the end, and should not even have warranted the attention of a coroner by Schwartz's laws. But knowing that she would not find closure otherwise, or so her father had informed her, he used his fabulous economic and social power to press an investigation from their neighbouring country. The result was what everybody called obvious – her mother died of systemic organ failures suggested to be caused by a cytokine storm set in after an infection of the exotic _Virus X_ she had been working with – the virus was traced in many of those aforementioned failed tissues.

It was last night that she found out the virus coined X at the time was AAV-20, if Yamada was speaking the truth. He probably has a good track record for Nao to have recommended him, so Natsuki is ready to accept the suspicion she has always held.

The reason she suspects foul-play is, partly, because there are some mysterious holes missing in the explanation, one being what exactly was the virus that killed her mother? Schwartz's reports stated that it was sensitive information, thus to be held confidential, but it certainly helped fuel the fires of Natsuki's persistent quest for answers. Now she knows, at the very least, this little tid-bit of information. Next thing will be to find out why it was so suspiciously hidden.

Another coincidence, as Natsuki's father coined it, was that Nao's mother, Saeko's co-worker, passed away soon after her. _That must count as something, _she thinks, though everybody else remains unconvinced – after all, Yuuki Shiori was a good thousand kilometres away, on their safe, pacific home soil, when she had that unfortunate car crash. And it was a car crash! The cause of death couldn't have been any more different! Yet, Yamada just told her the crash left no reports. Are the circumstances not doubly suspicious now?

And even before Yamada provided his three cents' worth, or twenty thousand yen plus whatever Nao paid to be literally accurate, Natsuki would never have given up on the suspicion of foul-play. Reason is simple – she just can't accept it.

She can't accept her mother's death.

It couldn't have been so petty.

She couldn't have been so careless. _She had me!_

_She had me to return to._

"_Maybe she committed suicide?" _

The notion of that suggestion, which led her to punch the man who gave it those long years ago, still continues to send her tempers flaring.

No. Kuga Saeko had a daughter to return to.

She would not, **could not**, commit suicide.

_But she gave up on you. She gave up your custody, not lost it in court._

_Shut up! She was protecting me by sending me away. _

_She must have known of what would happen to her._

_No way that it was an accident or suicide or whatever crap that old man and the grubby officials in cash wads try to tell me. They're just trying to cover their asses!_

And that is why she has to find out. She turned criminal as a young adult to gain that information, yet her post was an idiotic security guard at one of Garderobe's strip clubs – the one starring Nao. Heck, the red-headed spider probably got juicier news than she did back in those days, standing upright against the cold exterior wall while watching out for troublemakers who might bring their brawl inside. It was one of the reasons why she quit Garderobe, and of course, one of the reasons why the shady higher-ups even let her do that. She doesn't know shit!

Garderobe gave her money, alright, but she got more out of her old man who was eager to take her back into the mansion. She wasn't doing too much for his perfect reputation in that latrine of an underworld after all.

But he would only give her money if she went by his wishes – go to a college, then transfer into a proper university. He even paved her way into Fuuka's top post-secondary institution, or rather **paid **her way through it, but normally she would've refused.

To hell with his money. She didn't have a place to use it without the right connections, and being stuck to that golden bull, for lack of a better metaphor from the stock market he so adored, was not a way of gaining access to good info. That was, until she discovered things from her old friend at Garderobe.

Tate had been working as a smuggler. He drove a truck bearing legal shipments to and from Schwartz, with just some minor compartments bearing not-so-legal counterparts. Mainly electronics from their technologically-advanced southern neighbour, sometimes bigger, fancier stuff like robotic arms and the like that were likely being purchased by none other than their country, Kaze's own military. The obvious reasons for smuggling are to avoid Schwartz's export taxes and their homeland's tariffs, as well as trade quotas upheld by both countries. A darker reason would be that some things are simply not meant to be exported. Those are most valuable, to the gangs and even the governments involved, as well as Natsuki.

She turns her gaze from the dying cactus back onto Tate's coarse visage – the high cheeks and jutting brow ridges peaking with little reserve. Just like his character. Tate is not a reserved person, and though he was criminal, he had his reasons like Natsuki. And perhaps even more so than her, he would've refused any job he deemed truly, morally criminal. It's one thing to break a law of the state, another to break a law of your own personal integrity.

Which is probably why he, too, has quit Garderobe. He has it harder than Natsuki though – he knows too much, even if it is still quite little in her opinion. During his dealings with Schwartz, Tate was sometimes tasked with carrying not just goods, but messages. After all, information is never safe across a phone, or across the internet. Anything written is recorded, and records can be dug up to be used against the parties. But they are safe in the brain. If they ever suspected Tate's brain to leak figuratively, they would just make it leak physically, and the orange-head was not dumb enough to not notice.

Still, he disclosed the information when she asked. She had a great friendship with him, of course, having saved each other's asses more than once. More importantly, she did reveal her reasons. And Tate understood – his friend needed whatever she could get to finally, once and for all, close her files and move on.

So he told her that Garderobe had business with NLPS, the place where Saeko worked. He learned that some of their "sensitive personnel" had left for Fuuka, and the biker gang was tasked to watch over them. Of course, Tate didn't know the entire list – only a select few in the correspondences he had taken across the borders. Several were relocated here: researchers at the University of Fuuka.

Which was why Natsuki agreed to her old man's demands and actually came to this goddamn crap-hole.

"I really don't know too much, now that I'm semi-retired from the gang," Tate answers her inquiry after much thought, "They still make me do stuff for them, of course, just to make sure I can never come completely clean. We both know I know too much for their liking, even if it's not much in actuality."

"I'd think they have plenty of extras just like you, so if any spill anything, it still wouldn't amount to anything **worthwhile**," Natsuki voices her agreement, "But do tell me what you've found out the last while, even if it's something totally small. Heck, tell me what Arika ate for dinner, if you know."

Tate laughs, "Arika eats too damn much, except when the boss' cat steals her food. Now that cat is a freaking beast! Monster!"

"Hey now, I meant that as a joke. I don't really care about some cat."

Tate continues his chuckles while leaning back on his couch with arms crossed behind his head, "Yeah, I know, I know, but lately I haven't been doing those errands, so I don't have much for you…although…if you can pry something out of Nina, then you might find something useful."

Nina Wang, the fiercely-loyal raven-headed "cop". They managed to get her into the forces as an undercover. Of course the gangs send undercovers into the police and government too – they aren't stupid. Nina so happens to be one of their strategic pieces on the Kaze-Schwartz border to facilitate the movement of their people and goods into and out of their neighbouring nation.

"Well, obviously Nina knows something, but it's equally obvious that she's not gonna say anything about it," Natsuki retorts, exasperated.

"Depends on what you mean by anything," Tate chimes, tapping his fingers on his arm rest.

"You know something," she says with an accusing glare. He leans in with a grin, as though taunting her to pry the info from him. Her glare intensifies, leaving him the only option of calling defeat.

"Yeah, yeah, I surrender to your killing intent," he replies with a goofy smile, "She wouldn't say anything herself, but Erstin said she was carrying her correspondence from the Fuuka Chapter to the Zipang Chapter in Schwartz."

She ponders her mind through the possible implications, finding none. Info has to be passed regularly between the chapters in the two cities – there isn't too much about it.

"How often has she been doing this?"

"Don't know exactly, but that should be easy enough to find out. I doubt she's the only one doing this though, and it'd be more difficult to track all their exchanges with Zipang."

"You have my thanks for trying," she says, starting on the salad, "I don't really need an exact number. Just want your expert opinion on whether the frequency suggests something fishy."

"Sure, will do," he answers, getting up from his seat, "anything else you want to tell me before I go?"

"Like what?"

"Come on, I'm no outsider. Whatever Nao and you are doing – you promised to tell me. No more of that reckless shit from the two of ya."

She sighs, not really wanting to drag her friend further into the mess. She prefers playing lone wolf.

She doesn't want to hurt anyone.

"Fine. We found some things. Not too much though."

"Tell me," he insists with a straight glance, showing a rare, dead-serious look on his square face.

"Nao found an informant, Yamada. Told us some grubby cop, Itou, got rid of the files on Shiori-san's crash."

"And about your mother?"

She hesitates. "Nothing too conclusive other than that 'virus X' is probably some shit called AAV-20. God crap, those biologists have to come up with such uninformative names, fuck. I can't see it as any better than just 'X'."

She's lying. She knows that trash-of-a-name AAV-20 actually means something, but it'd be a dangerous search if you go any deeper – something from which she wants to keep Tate away.

"What are you gonna do? Find out why NLPS is keeping that secret and what that research really means? If there's anything I learned at the Fujino Lab thus far, it'd be that research is never conducted for pure scientific curiosity."

"Now that makes me wonder why Fujino does what she does," she suggests, trying to swerve off the topic.

"Not my concern," Tate says, rejecting her bait, "I wanna know what Nao and you are gonna do. Just say it."

"I think Nao's gonna look into Itou. The guy's dead, but we can probably find some pieces. I'll try to get a hold of her tonight and we'll decide how to do things amongst ourselves."

"Look, I'm talking about AAV-20. What're you gonna do about **that**?" Tate bends down and whispers angrily into her ear. She pushes him away.

"Fuck off! I ain't doing anything about something so vague. Heck, I don't even fully trust that Yamada dude yet. At least give him some tries first before I go off wading after his suggestions."

"Lies!" He snaps, then sits again while looking into her emeralds with a pleading gaze, "You're gonna make sense of the correspondence I've told you about the NLPS researchers having moved here, and how many of them has touched AAV-20 right? I'm not stopping you. I just wanna know how you plan on proceeding, so I can back you up."

There's the unsaid, "We're friends, right?" here, and she understands.

Yes, they are friends. Yes, she trusts him. But that's exactly why he shouldn't go too far into Nao and her business. It's risky, and he has nothing to gain from it.

"I promise I won't do anything yet, and when I do, Nao will be with me. We can take care of ourselves – you gotta at least acknowledge that much."

He turns away quietly and fetches her a napkin wetted at the sink. "For the mayo and drool on your face," he says when he returns. There is a stifling silence between them until Natsuki breaks it.

"Thanks," she answers. _So?_

"You'll take care of yourself. Nao's gonna take care of herself too, that redneck bitch. And you'll ask for help when you need it."

"Yeah, sure. You're starting to sound as nosy as a mom, Tate."

* * *

When Natsuki exits the eating area, she can see her brunette prof waiting by the first door, arms crossed gently over her ample chest as her rubies gaze leisurely over a poster tacked on the opposite wall. The Raven is left wondering if her prof is inwardly reprimanding her for her lateness, or the later is just too bored of drinking coffee in an empty office and decided to take a stroll along the hallway.

Though all evidence points towards the former suggestion, Natsuki decides on the later. Shizuru simply looks too unfazed to appear impatient.

"How was your date?" the elder woman asks, colouring the younger's face in an instant.

"What date?"

"Yuuichi-kun…I never would've guessed," her smooth accent flows with a deep undertow. _What undertow? Is she a goddamn ocean?_

"There's nothing between us!" _And why do I have to explain that to her? Fucking idiot!_

"It was but a joke, Na-tsu-ki."

"Fujino!"

At this, the brunette's face actually lights up while she dissolves into polite chuckles. Though Natsuki's natural reaction would be to knock some sense out of the woman in front of her, a small part of her feels somewhat pleased by the reaction. She didn't like the darkness of Shizuru's tone just a little earlier…this is much better.

_Idiots should be happy. Idiots should always remain happy no matter what._

"Stop laughing. I don't have all day," she snaps. The later doesn't seem offended, only taking a deep breath to compose herself.

"Ara, look what I've done. I offended my dear Natsuki-"

"I'm not yours and I'm certainly not 'your dear'" Natsuki tries to cut her off, only to have Shizuru continue without any heed to her complaints.

"-must be the coffee from earlier. Quite stimulating, I must say. Would you forgive me?"

She rolls her eyes and ignores the question, walking past Shizuru into the lab proper.

_Wait, the coffee? The five shots of espresso? _

_Shit, I have a long, long day to come…_

* * *

**Omake #2 – **_because I know I like it_

When Natsuki walks past Shizuru into the lab proper, she's greeted by a not-so-pleasant surprise.

"You call this a lab?" she screams. The elder woman nods her head confidently, as though she has just been praised.

"If I may say so myself, I am rather proud of my establishment."

Given the style of Fujino's office, the younger expected a neat little area lined with sparkly white linoleum and smooth, ivory-imitating benches not unlike those in _C*I_. Well, there isn't any problem with the benches being painted blue instead, but…the spilling bookshelves separating each bay, and papers flying beside overworked laptops humming on those blue benches?

_What the hell? Is this a newsgroup or something?_

"Tell me what is this," Natsuki demands an answer from her prof, pointing at the nearest black Tosh*ba. The short and scrawny grad student occupying the bench silently glares at her.

"Ara, I believe that is a laptop, Natsuki-chan."

"Yeah, no kidding," the Raven deadpans, "And on the screen of said-laptop is a fucking fanfic about you and me."

"Oh, a must-read then," the brunette comments, dipping her head low to pretend to read the screen. Actually, she has already read the contents before. Actually, she was the one who semi-threatened said-contents to have been written. Actually, she is dipping her head low to threaten her student into including a kiss scene in the next paragraph, and have her write off that idiot Takeda Masashi right after.

Of course, all these "actually-s" are unregistered by the cute little green-eyed devil beside her. That is the way it's meant to be. If, by any chance, anybody spills Fujino Shizuru's secrets, she'd politely excuse them from her presence…or rather, excuse them from their presence in the living world.

Natsuki shivers. _What's with the air-con today? It's blasting full force like no tomorrow when it was barely working yesterday…stupid building._

"You done?" the dark-haired woman snaps impatiently to drive away her sudden discomfort, "Or are you struggling over that last sentence-"

"I take it that Natsuki-chan would like an explanation of the last sentence then?" Shizuru cuts her off.

"I didn't say that!"

Protest ignored.

"In the meantime, at the Kazean city of Fuuka, the beautiful PI sipping on hot koicha slowly explained the phenomenon they were studying – the cytokine storm…"

"Don't read it aloud!"

"You see, PI means principle investigator, the head scientist of a research project. In this context, he or she is the head of the academic lab carrying out this study."

"I know that! Why are you explaining it to me?"

"But Natsuki, don't you think it is a wonderful idea for a PI to sit with her student to discuss a scientific subject over traditional thick tea? Only top-quality leaves are used for koicha after all. Just thinking about its delicious aroma is making my mouth water. Though, a cytokine storm seems quite a morbid topic to discuss over such delicacy, however, being a potentially fatal condition where the body's cytokine signalling molecules activate the immune cells to produce more cytokine in an uncontrolled feedback loop. Quite unfortunate such conditions can arise in our traitorous bodies, don't you agree? Though, I'm sure our bodies can deliver immense pleasure when it is traitorous in other ways…"

"What other ways?" Natsuki exclaims, trying to drive off the suggestion, only to have a teasing prof on her tails.

"Would you truly like me to explain? I do not mind a demonstration, really…"

"Oh, be quiet you two," the thus-far silent grad student jabs into their conversation, only to have a pair of crimson eyes glaring hell into her dull browns. She winces and backs away a little, "…err…umm…I mean, if I write a glossary for these terms instead of stupid omakes, then maybe we can have more space to write in a tad of romance?"

"What do you mean romance?" the Raven retorts loudly, flushing, "It's…it's…err…not cheap entertainment for the likes of you to write about! Yeah, that's right. You should stop spreading your crap over the internet else I send a horde of flamers to dissect your stupid, idiotic, nonsensical story into a billion little, rotting fragments!"

So the emerald-eyed demon's halfhearted curses continue to rain on the poor, shrinking grad student as the prof delivers her famous "ara ara" in light of the situation she, herself, has caused.

No one answers the question of why the lab is transformed into a newsgroup. Well, not that it matters, since it's only an omake.

* * *

**End of Chapter 3 **– _and feedback is appreciated, especially if you'd prefer a glossary instead of stupid omakes. Or maybe you do like the omakes? Or maybe you're just dying to tell me that I'm an idiot to think such simple terms even need to be explained?_


	4. Safety Orientation

A/N: Sorry for the very long wait this time. Real life can be a pain in the butt sometimes.

Thanks to reviewers oOYuuOo, shiznat1234, il0vesunfl0wers (the review brings up a great question that would be answered further down the plot), ZonaRose, qaths10, The Fractured, shiznats, Syrakys, PostoronnimV, crageisfanficcrazy, Platina GF, Pew Pew, and the other guest reviewers.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mai HiME.

* * *

Glossary:

Post-doc: short for post-doctoral fellow. Usually somebody who has just recently received his/her doctoral degree, and joins a lab to further his/her experience before obtaining a position as a full scientist. The appointment can either be funded through a salary or stipend/award from the institution or external agencies. The post-doc mentioned in this story is actually an OC borrowed from my story, "Lab Drama" on fictionpress.

PI: principal investigator. As mentioned in the previous chapter, he/she is the head of the research group.

Comprehensive exam: or "comps", in short. An exam designed to evaluate a PhD student's general and project-specific knowledge. Different grad programs may have slightly different procedures for the exam, but for mine, the student starts by giving a short presentation about his/her project proposal and progress, followed by questions from his/her committee, made up of three profs from a related field. Successful completion of the exam would promote the student to the status of "PhD Candidate".

dh10b: a lab strain of the bacterial species, _E. coli_, derived from the K-12 strain.

Pathogenicity: the ability for an agent to produce infectious disease in an organism

Adenovirus: more about this virus will be provided in later chapters. First off, this is a real family of viruses, non-enveloped icosahedral in structure carrying a double-strained linear DNA genome. Most viruses in this family lead to non-symptomatic or mild respiratory infections, but serotype 14 is known to cause severe disease. Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are also real viruses, but AAV-20 is a fictional serotype. The information provided in this chapter about the AAV family is real, to the best of my knowledge anyways.

Central dogma of molecular biology: not a term used in this chapter, but it's a concept that will appear throughout the story. To put it simply, information stored in DNA is transcribed into mRNA then read and translated to proteins. Viruses hijack the cell's machinery to do just that.

* * *

**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 4 – Safety Orientation

* * *

If there were a skill you'd definitely pick up working in an academic lab, it'd be spotting a brand new undergrad.

About half a dozen people standing still on the common laboratory corridor are exhibiting this skill at the moment as their internal radar beeps upon Natsuki's arrival.

Well, at least she's not in a suit. You see those often enough, dressed as though going to a wedding reception when they're just applying for a position to slave as the latest dishwasher.

In fact, the obviously unwashed orange shirt under the crumpled white hoodie seems like a good fit with the rest of the lab. Still, those unmistaken emerald orbs darting to the coat hanger where all the white coats are flung haphazardly over the place, several only managing to cling on with the extra security of what looks to be…err…spider webs…gives her away instantly.

"What is this?" Natsuki asks, gesturing at the coat rack.

"Ara, I believe those are lab coats," her prof answers.

"Like duh, I can see that. I mean the spider webs. Look, there's a stray strand flying under the air vent!"

"Are you sure it's not just dust, Natsuki-chan?"

"Is there a difference? Why is there dust on the lab coats? I thought you're supposed to…"

Her voice trails off as her eyes wander further down the corridor to land on all the people standing there watching her like some circus show. None of them are wearing aforementioned coats.

"Why do you have them if you're not going to put them on anyway?"

"Building regulations, I'm afraid," a deep male voice sounds from behind her. She turns around to see a tall, dark-haired male glancing down at her with warm, smiling eyes, "I'm Kanzaki Reito, manager of the Fujino Lab."

"Reito-san, that reminds me. Have you heard any rumours about the next safety check?" Fujino asks.

"Oh, they are so secretive about them lately. I think it's because news of it leaked through the building a month ahead last time."

"But you have your ways, don't you? My, my, you should stop by the Fraser Lab more often and offer Colleen-chan your famous smile."

"Wait, wait, wait," Natsuki interrupts the conversation, "you're talking about Colleen Leung?"

"Oh, you already know personnel from other labs? Aren't you an eager one, Natsuki."

"More like it's posted on the lab door, Fujino! She's the safety committee member you're supposed to contact in case of emergency."

"…and a rather pretty post-doc from the Fraser Lab, I must say. Unfortunate that she must display her displeased countenance so often, don't you agree, Shizuru-san?"

"Indeed. But of course, my Natsuki-chan is by far more beautiful."

"Wait! Stop! So, this conversation is about getting Kanzaki-san to…err…bribe the safety committee member?"

"You misunderstand, Natsuki-san. I shall not bribe anybody. As lab manager, it is my job to facilitate communication between lab groups."

"And safety is our utmost concern within the laboratory, correct?"

"Why, Shizuru-san, that is absolutely correct! Which is why we have the safety checks, and why we must prepare dutifully for them before hand."

"Don't you listen to the two of them!" a loud voice booms from behind. A blonde with glaring violet eyes, dressed in a speckless white coat and matching latex gloves stomp down the bay to join them. She first sprays her gloves with ethanol, then carefully removes and discards them into the labelled biohazard bin, and then does a textbook hand-wash with soap and warm water before offering her hand to Natsuki. The later takes the hand, which clamps down with an iron grip, and tries her best to smile at Shizuru's polar opposite facing her.

"Suzushiro Haruka. I work here. PhD student," she introduces herself.

"Uhh…Kuga Natsuki, undergrad."

"I can tell."

_Is it really that obvious? But I'm already over-aged._

"Oh, Haruka-san. I thought you were too busy for introductions with your comprehensive exam coming up," Reito says. The blonde growls at him.

"I won't have to do this if you two were doing your job like you're supposed to. Facilitating communications doesn't mean bribing the safety committee member."

"You see," Shizuru whispers in Natsuki's ear much to the latter's annoyance, "Colleen is Haruka-san's friend."

"And you, Bubuzuke!" Haruka barks, pointing an accusing finger in their direction, "I don't know what you were whispering in our new undergrad's ear, but it is absolutely not true. Anything from your teabag mouth is most definitely a lie."

"Ara, Haruka-san…but I just told Natsuki that I think you are wearing white panties today. Am I mistaken?"

Natsuki can't even blink as she witnesses the most outlandish exchange between grad student and PI in known history, with Haruka flushing bright red, one hand shooting downwards to cover an inexistent hole in her perfect coat, another still held mid-air with a finger fixed in Shizuru's direction.

"How the hell did you…you…pervert, when did you look?"

"Oh my, Haruka-san, you're not telling me that…I was right? It was mere speculation on my part."

"I don't need you to fucking speculate over this! You! Remember I told you that my funding with The Kazean National Sciences Council is about to expire in August? If you have so much time, go apply for some grants, like you rightfully should!"

"Well…it does take considerably more effort writing grant proposals than such speculation. After all, white suits Haruka-san's personality…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"…though I must add, I believe you should consider a bolder colour, not green of course. Violet would work well with your eyes. What do you think, Yukino-san?"

The reddish-brown head poking out the next bay turns from Haruka to Shizuru, not knowing what to say. Haruka angrily crosses her arms.

"Don't you dare corrupt Yukino. And don't you dare change the topic."

"Oh, you mean the topic of your lingerie preferences? I must say, I have been pretty good at staying on-topic this time," Shizuru calmly replies.

"Like hell! I mean the safety check, damn it! You should always adhere to the rules, not put on a show before the inspection!"

"Well, that may be true, in theory, but just as Haruka-san is busy with comps, I also have my work. And I believe our lab is currently safe, seeing as we do not work with anything biohazardous. If I may speak from my scientific experience, there is very little chance of dh10b spontaneously developing pathogenicity. Unless, of course, Haruka-san recognizes anything unsafe that requires correction, in which case it will take priority over exams preparation and I would hope that you can see to it immediately as the most senior student in the lab."

"You!" Haruka yells, vein popping up from her forehead even as Yukino tries to pull her away, "I don't need you to say it! If I see anything out of place, I'll put it back in place immediately! I know where my job lies!"

"Very good, I am happy to hear your passionate response," the PI claps her hands together, "If you would now excuse me, I would like to continue Natsuki's lab tour."

With that, the PI, lab manager, and new student continue their way down the blue-painted benches, walking past various pieces of equipment in various states of…disrepair. When they are out of earshot of the two female grad students, Natsuki glances to her side to snicker at her prof.

"Ever the tyrant, aren't ya, Prof. Fujino."

"Is that so? Is there something I said to Haruka-san that makes you feel that way?"

"Well, she does have a point, doesn't she? "

Natsuki doesn't expect her prof to pause her steps and chuckle in her palms.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing much really, Natsuki. Please don't mind me."

"I think I will mind. You are clearly laughing at me."

"That is not really the case…it's just…well…I did not think you'd be the one to defend Haruka-san."

"Why?"

"Natsuki-chan does seem to me like the type who'd enjoy breaking rules."

While Shizuru continues her polite laughter, Natsuki can't help but put up an almost pouting expression at the relentless teasing. Seriously, can't that dumb brunette be serious for once? She's trying to start an actual discussion here, and that's quite a feat for her, really.

"What, am I supposed to be some delinquent figure here?"

"Oh, so you aren't?"

"Hey! I think I'm going to take offence to that!"

"Ara…I think I angered my dear Natsuki-chan again. My bad."

The Raven is about to correct that "Natsuki-chan" thing, but decides she should just leave it at that. Any more of this teasing and complaining and teasing again and they will get nowhere.

"Okay, whatever, so Suzushiro had a point. That much should be obvious even to the likes of you…"

Shizuru finally stops laughing and settles down to a friendly smile that matches the one Reito has on his face, "That, I think she does. Haruka-san always has a point, don't you agree, Reito-san?"

"I wholeheartedly agree, Shizuru-san."

"Then why did the two of you shoot down her idea? I mean, it can't be bad for everybody to actually adhere to the rules for a change, right?"

"Well, I believe that is not the problem, however, Natsuki-san," Reito explains.

"Besides, I don't think the two of us have asked her not to. In fact, Haruka-san and Yukino-san have always been very good about the rules."

"Sometimes too good."

"Indeed, it can be a little excessive."

The exchange leaves Natsuki confused. Unaware of the weird-out expression that is ripening across her face, she's a little surprised to actually hear Shizuru direct the conversation towards her once again.

"Natsuki, this is Reito-san's bench, and our lab's receiving area. A shipment of 'Enormous Microbes' plushies have just arrived, and I was hoping you'd hang them up around the lab."

"What!?"

_She's getting back at me for the coffee. She's making a comeback and there's nothing I can do to stop her!_

"Now Prof. Fujino," Natsuki sarcastically retorts, "How is that related to Physics 101? And speaking of which, how was the bonsai related to Physics 101?"

"Physics 101 – Introduction to Modern Biophysics. That is the course you teach, is that right, Shizuru-san?" Reito asks. The brunette only nods happily as though the aforementioned course description fits completely with the tasks she has been assigning to her summer student…slave.

"Physics is a perspective of the universe. Indeed, all life can be viewed in this perspective," she says.

_What kind of philosophical bullshit is this?_

"And I'm a biological entity. And I applied physical force to my pencil to deliver atoms of carbon onto the paper. Why did you not view my exam as the perfection of biophysics, Prof?" Natsuki flatly asks.

"Oh, believe me, Natsuki-chan. It was perfection," she answered lightly, almost so lightly that Natsuki feels a chilling finger run down her spine, "And I honoured this perfection by doing the same to your exam paper, albeit with red ink."

Prof 1

Student 0

"Fine. Enormous Microbes, right? I'll hang them enormous microbes up to bite your pretty bottom, Prof."

As she bends down for the box of multi-coloured plushies under the bench, Prof. Fujino sets something down with a solid clatter, making her jump.

"And before I forget…"

"Hell, you would forget, but I won't. What the fuck was that?"

"My laptop. I will lend it to you for this task."

"Huh?"

_Is that woman crazy? Who'd need a laptop for hanging up plushies?_

"You will need it, Natsuki-chan. I will quiz you tomorrow."

There is an unspoken message that if she fails, something bad would happen.

_But the fuck? Quiz what?_

* * *

Night sets upon the city of Fuuka. Long out of work, Natsuki wanders the downtown streets in the direction of The Pub, hand clutching the cell in her pocket.

_Meet me at the old place. Got stuff to tell. Nao._

The text occupies her mind even as she swings open the heavy doors and settle down at the couch where the Spider is waiting, a mile of legs crossed behind thin black pantyhose, skirt bright red as her head, barely long enough to cover her privates.

"Chie, get me an Asahi Draft. Yuuki will take a shot."

"The strongest you've got, Bitch," Nao adds with a slick smile, uncrossing her legs so she can hook one around Natsuki's. The later frowns, only prompting her to be bolder.

"Done too much slut work for that banker, Yuuki? Seems you've caught some nasty habits," Natsuki snaps. Nao laughs, draping an arm over the Raven's shoulder to pull herself into the crook of the older girl's neck.

"Don't think I remember you as a prude, Natsu-chan. Or are you just staying sparkly twinkly pure for that PhD of yours?"

"The hell? Where did you get that from?"

"Oh, was I wrong? But Harada said she's hot. You told her."

For whatever reason, blood starts pooling in Natsuki's face, making it so scorching hot it irritates her. _Fuck you, Yuuki._

"Yeah, she's hot, so what? Didn't come all the way here to tell ya that. Whatever ya wanna say, just spill it. Ain't got all day."

"Sure, sure, Busybody. Bet you got that hot sexy creature waiting on your bed."

"Ha, more like your bed, Yuuki. Or should we make that creature**s**?"

Nao leans back and sips on her newly arrived scotch, licking and sucking with her pink tongue and plump lips, "Can use some hot creatures after that limp dick, yeah. But I got what I want. Gimme a couple more nights and I'd have my mom's case solved."

At this, Natsuki leans in to Nao's touch, brushing aside her flaming strands to trace the spine poking through glorious white skin. It allows the Spider to draw closer to her ear and whisper.

"You know the cop Yamada dug up? The one who trashed the files?"

"Itou, right?"

"Clean or not, he's dead. We've run into a wall."

"Except he was obviously paid. Question is who paid him and why."

"So I got Yamada to look into it."

"Yeah, I heard. What did he find?"

"As far back as before my mom died, till around two years after the investigation, extra cash flowed into Itou's accounts. Traces to private banks."

"So useless?"

"Unless you know the banker."

Nao's snickers tickle the soft flesh behind Natsuki's ear. The later smiles, thinking over what was said.

"So the banker you slept with…"

"Bel Glan de Artai. Has many clients, so I must say, I sorta got lucky."

"How?"

"Why do you think he's in Kaze? Has business hereabouts, right? The client he's tending to this time is a monk at the Fuukan Church, Father Joseph."

What the hell does a monk have to do with this?

"So this Father Joseph, what the fuck was he doing before becoming a monk?"

"Was an engineer…at NLPS."

It all makes sense now. Sure, they still can't see a clear motive, but this guy is involved in the puzzle somehow.

"You traced Itou's cash to him?"

"Not yet, but that's my guess. Think about it, he's a fucking monk, why would he need a private banker?"

"So he has the cash…maybe from the time he was at NLPS."

"What about cash for doing away your mom and mine?"

"And he's now a monk…to evade the masterminds?"

"Check," Nao says with a wide, mad grin, "That's what I'm think'in too."

Now who is the mastermind? Or perhaps Father Joseph dictated all this himself, and somewhere along the lines, he reaps in benefits from the two deaths? Or maybe Yuuki Shiori and Kuga Saeko died because they found out a secret of his? Whatever it is, there must be some sort of motive.

"I'll look into Father Joseph then," Natsuki concludes, but Nao points a slender finger on her bottom lip and shakes her head slowly.

"I'll do it. It's my mom's case we're talking about. You will look into how your mom died."

"But the two deaths might be related!"

"Even so," Nao answers, "It's better to follow a different path of investigation and see if we end up on the same page. Say, you must've asked Yamada some questions of your own, right?"

"Yeah…like I told you before, my mom was killed by a virus she was working with. Yamada's story matches the reports my dad showed me…"

The unnamed virus, now known as AAV-20. That's what Yamada told her.

AAV – adeno-associated virus. A dependovirus which lacks the ability to propagate itself within the host cell without the aid of a helper virus. Its genome replication requires the proteins generated from other viral infections, the first-discovered being that of adenoviruses, thus its name.

That is what she found out so far from Fujino's laptop. She must thank her good luck for Shizuru's idiotic generosity – apparently, the prof's laptop is linked to the university network with a good number of subscriptions to online journals. Best yet is that Fujino seems to have fished out some money of her own to get extra subscriptions into obscure publications; though none of them can answer her question of what exactly is AAV-20, at least she gained some insight into common features of the AAV family, and also that of the helper adenovirus.

"So this virus that killed your mom…there's nothing about it on the net, but info on related viruses showed up?" Nao asks after the explanation. Natsuki nods.

"Strange thing is, the related viruses are not known to be pathogenic…meaning, they don't cause diseases in humans. Plus the fact that adenoviruses are needed for its life cycle, it makes no sense to use it as a weapon."

"Or maybe it's a guise?"

"Guise?"

"You said this virus needs another virus for…reproducing and whatnot? How do you rule out the possibility that it's the other virus that killed your mom?"

"You mean…the adenovirus itself?"

"Yeah. If you're gonna get Yamada to look into it, I think you should pay him to look both ways – into that AAV thing and the helper virus. Who got it, who could've gotten close to your mom, who'd have a motive to do it. And you, yourself, should consult your PhD about both them little bugs. Say you're really into this kinda shit. Those scientists would leap up to heaven when somebody shows the slightest interest in their boring trash."

"Dude, my prof is a biophysicist! Like hell she'd know."

"Didn't you say you got this stuff from her laptop? Okay, she might not know this shit, but she'd have contacts who'd know, right? What do biophysicists do again? Don't they…I don't know…bridge the fields or some glorious fuck like that?"

* * *

The aforementioned prof is wandering down the corridors of her lab, doing one last check that all the equipment is turned off before heading home. She comes to the last bay separating them from the Graceburt lab, the one she assigned to Natsuki earlier today.

"Seems like Natsuki-san has taken a liking to adenoviruses," a voice speaks from behind her. She turns to see Kanzaki smiling, hands stuffed in the jacket he has already donned. "Look, it's the only one of the box of microbial plushies she has decided to keep."

"Maybe she likes the icosahedral shape? The beautiful symmetry is hard to resist."

"Ever the fan of symmetry, Shizuru-san."

"Why, is it not the same for you, Reito-san? Physicists and our inherent desire to answer the world's mysteries, one particle at a time. It is symmetry that allows this to happen."

"Now, now…there is a reason I settled with a masters and didn't go on for a doctorate. I'm interested enough in the subject to keep working in the field, but to call this my inherent desire…perhaps that is taking it a little too far?"

"Reito-san, it may not be your desire, but you certainly have the capability to come up with beautiful solutions," Shizuru smiles, "If only you had more interest in the subject…"

"Is that why you are fostering Natsuki-san's interest?"

Shizuru sits down on Natsuki's chair and looks out the window at the atrium below where several students are still studying at the long tables, "There are three kinds of answers you would ever read on exams. Care to guess which ones?"

"I only know two – right and wrong."

Shizuru chuckles, "And there are those in-between that makes you wonder whether you should give them part-marks."

"So Natsuki-san's answers were like that?"

"Yuuichi-san's exam was full of completely wrong answers, and even of those that were correct, they were recited from the text. Natsuki's exam, however, only had half-right answers. They were logical based on her assumptions, but those assumptions had no supporting evidence."

"So one of those geniuses who don't study at all…"

"…and thus no one can recognize their genius behind the apparent stupidity," she finishes his sentence, leading both of them to dissolve into gentle laughter.

"Still, Shizuru-san, you sure Natsuki-san knows of your intention? Especially with your bonsai incident – I'm sure she thinks of you as a slave-driver by now."

"And I will continue driving her mad, till she shows me the subject on which she wishes to dedicate her time. Only then would her summer project have meaning."

"I think you misunderstand," Kanzaki replies quickly, "I'm concerned about you, actually. Natsuki-san's comebacks are quite brilliant, you must admit. The five shots of espresso…"

"So you noticed, Reito-san?"

"I heard from Yuuichi-san," he says, "I think neither he nor Natsuki-san has yet to figure it out…"

It…being that Shizuru already had breakfast before she came to work today.

* * *

**End of Chapter 4 **– _visit my profile for a link to the updated omake book on my deviantart! Thanks for reading. Any comments other than flames are welcome._


	5. Lab Meeting

A/N: Thanks to reviewers Summer, PostoronnimV, DancingFireStar, NS, crageisfanficcrazy, Mini, xx Catty xx, Platina GF, a reviewer, and the other guests for their kind comments. It seems that I derive too much enjoyment from poking fun at my occupation. I wonder if anybody has noticed my not-so-subtle parodies, hehe.

Disclaimer: Nope, _Mai HiME_ still not mine. Too bad.

* * *

Glossary:

_Drosophila: _genus of fruit flies used in genetics research. I've heard horror stories of them infesting yeast labs in which they, literally, eat through people's experiments. Not fun.

14ml screw-capped conicals: refers to screw-capped test tubes with conical bottoms that can take up to 14ml of liquid.

Adenovirus: see previous chapter for explanation. Official name of the virus family is _Adenoviridiae_. 57 human adenovirus (HAdV) serotypes have been discovered thus far. Its gene regions, E4orf6, 72-Mr, E2A, VA, and E1 are described in 1998 by Matsushita _et al._ (Gene Therapy 5(7): 938-945) as the minimum set of genes required to facilitate AAV replication.

AAV: adeno-associated virus. See previous chapter for explanation. Naked icosahedral capsid containing negative-sense ssDNA genome. 11 serotypes have been described so far. (Therefore, AAV-20 is a _fictional_ serotype).

Plasmid: small DNA molecule that can replicate separately from the host chromosomal DNA. Commonly used in molecular biology research for cloning, in which genes of interest, which can be prepared through PCR, are inserted into an artificial plasmid vector and introduced into the cell for expression. Besides plasmids, other vectors can be used in molecular cloning, such as fosmids, cosmids, and artificial chromosomes.

Molecular cloning: please refer to the above note on "plasmid". It does not mean making an army of Stormtroopers, by the way.

Phiogenes: a fictional concept similar to real genes. Phiogenes are also composed of DNA, but they are non-coding (as in, they do not get transcribed to RNA and translated to proteins). Phiogenes, through unknown mechanisms, serve as the blueprint for producing phi radiation, which then modifies cellular function by inducing the generation of high-energy intermediates in biochemical pathways.

Phi radiation: also a fictional concept borrowed from my original story, _Lab Drama_. It is generated from an unknown source and doesn't propagate infinitely – rather, it degrades over time in a manner that seems to disobey the Law of Conservation of Energy and Mass (in other words, it gets created, then destroyed). Under certain conditions, it can be converted to other forms of energy and matter, thus can lead to the formation of high-energy intermediates in reactions that cannot occur otherwise, but its degradation forces the reactions to a stable energy state upon completion.

Phi globulins: also a fictional concept. Globular macrostructures that can be visualized by conventional means when phi radiation is activated and excites nearby electrons, generating electromagnetic radiation.

* * *

**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 5 – Lab Meeting

* * *

Falling asleep, half-drunk, on a lab bench is not comfortable. Falling asleep, half-drunk, dressed only in a flimsy T-shirt on a lab bench within a building with a malfunctioning air conditioning system and awaking to a blast of cold air and a pounding head is not comfortable at all.

_Holy shit, did the world just end? _– her first thought.

She can't be blamed. The black-haired girl had a long night. Well, of course not Yuuki's definition of "long", but nonetheless long in its own right.

The Pub, then more intelligence-tracking, then back at the lab for research, then falling asleep atop said research.

_Great student, am I? Fucking great._

"Ara, Natsuki," a voice interrupts from behind her, "I never thought our bench is so…accommodating."

"Like totally…I mean, this has got to be some king-sized bed at a five-star hotel, right?"

She cranes her head back to look at the newcomer, almost groaning at the thought of having to deal with the woman so early in the morning until she recognizes the very short distance between her and a pair of…soft, rounded assets.

Make that no distance at all as the brunette prof leans over to pick up the paperwork lying by the laptop.

_Calm down, Natsuki. Just chill. It's probably perfectly normal for a woman like her to be pressing her boobs on my shoulder. I mean, come on, she openly discussed her grad student's lingerie preferences just yesterday…_

Still, it's not helping her rid of that full-blown blush she knows is _infecting _her entire face.

Natsuki stifles a cough in desperate hopes that the older woman would interpret it as a sign that she doesn't appreciate invasions of her personal space.

Which is totally unnecessary, since she notices Fujino has already pulled back to look through the loose pages of her handwritten notes.

Somewhat disappointing – though she would not admit it.

_What the hell was I thinking? Obviously Fujino didn't even notice what she was doing. God damn it…why am I so over-sensitive?_

"Natsuki, are you alright?" the prof looks up from the pages and asks.

"Uh, yeah? Why not?"

"Oh, I just heard you cough a moment earlier. Are you coming down with a cold?"

"Allergies," she scoffs, "towards a certain supervisor of mine."

"My, my…Natsuki-chan can't possibly be implying that she is _reacting_ towards my presence, right?"

"Make that my immune system that is reacting," she tries her best at ignoring the seductive way the word "reacting" was being said, but to no avail. Turning, she hides her face by looking at the laptop monitor instead, "And I think I'm gonna get rashes soon enough."

"Rashes…on your face?" a cool finger draws close to her heated countenance, making it come to a feverish boil.

_She's gonna touch me. She's gonna touch me. Oh, fuck you, Natsuki! This is nothing! Chill, she's just a boring old prof, god damn it. Breathe! Just breathe!_

And with a flick…so close to her eye that she blinks…

The finger withdraws.

"Now what the heck was that for, Prof? You trying to poke my eye?"

"My apologies, there was a fly on your cheek."

_A fly…_

…_it was a damn fly!?_

"Says something about the hygiene of this lab. Why the hell was there a fly?"

"I believe they escaped when their nets were being changed and got here through the air vents. It can be quite problematic working with three _Drosophila_ labs above our heads," the brunette says calmly, then dips her head closer to Natsuki's level and sniffs.

_She's…sniffing me!?_

"Just a kind warning, my dear Natsuki: the flies are especially attracted to yeast."

_The hell?_

_Yeast?_

_Wait…last night's beer!_

With that, the prof leaves. Well, not before turning around to give a big smile and the following words.

"I will meet you in the student office then. Even Haruka-san has already arrived to attend your lab meeting presentation. You shouldn't keep her waiting."

"Yeah, whatever." - _Get lost before my head explodes from overheating! …I mean, overheating from dealing with you!_

_Wait…lab meeting?_

_Presentation?_

"What the hell, Fujino!?"

* * *

At the student office…

Natsuki half-listens to the conversation going on in the very crowded room, with Reito and Tate standing by the door, Haruka and Yukino on the couch, and a seemingly amused Dr. Fujino on one of the cushioned chairs flanking the large black screen.

The Raven is on the other chair, blushing.

_This is so fucking embarrassing. I'm pretty damn sure my "presentation" is supposed to go on that damn monitor…_

Violets glare down from the empty monitor to her emeralds. She can almost hear Suzushiro growl.

"Next on the list of lab issues," Reito continues, reading from his notes, "Haruka-san, you mentioned a problem with the 14ml screw-capped conicals?"

Natsuki almost heaves a sigh of relief when the violets finally leave her countenance for Reito's, but not for long…

"A moment if you will, Kanzaki," she says, then points at the new raven-haired undergrad, "I believe _this _young woman should be setting up her presentation by now. We can continue our discussion as she does so."

"A most sensible suggestion, Haruka-san," the sing-song lilt of the PI's voice answers instead, "But it seems everything is prepared and ready to go."

"This?" she points incredulously at the black screen, not even switched on at the moment…not that there is a laptop connected either.

"This," Fujino says, holding up a plush for everybody to see. Even Natsuki's jaws drop at the statement. _What!?_

There it is, the "enormous microbe" adenovirus which is, in essence, a ball of blue fluffy material adorned with bumps and triangular markings on its surface. A pair of plastic eyes stare into Haruka, prompting her to bat it away with her iron hand.

"Now what in the world is that _toy_ doing here?" she snaps, only to have the brunette feign surprise.

"Toy?" she says with a chuckle, "While size may matter, is this not a little too big?"

_Just what kind of toy are you implying, Fujino!?_

"What does size have to do with this, **I'd hit it**!"

"It's _idiot_, Haruka-chan," Yukino whispers.

_Talking about inappropriate exclamations…_

"That's what I said, Yukino! I'd hit it!" _– oh good lord…save me._

"Right, Haruka-san, we thank you for the information," the brunette prof answers, laughter filtering out her hands that are trying hard to stop the bursts of air from coming out her mouth. Reito is acting likewise, and Tate Yuuichi is too shocked from cerebral overheating to say anything.

"How about we leave the suspense till Natsuki-san's presentation, shall we? Now back to the tubes…I heard they broke in the centrifuge?"

As Haruka goes on to, reluctantly, explain the situation, Natsuki tries her best to come up with something, anything, for her upcoming "talk".

_Shit, what to do, what to do…the plush…Fuck! This is the quiz Fujino was talking about yesterday!_

"Natsuki?"

"What?" she snaps at the crimson-eyed woman who has edged up to whisper in her ear. Said eyes smile in delight.

"Doesn't it sound like the end of the world? And when your pounding heart stops…"  
_The end of the world…my pounding heart…  
_"…and the creaks finally ease to silence…granted the machine is still intact…"  
_Wait, creaks? And a doomsday machine!?  
_"…leaving you in the evacuated wing to clean up the mess…"

"Wait a second, what are you talking about, Fujino?"

"Why, Haruka-san's broken centrifuge tube of course. Luckily it was in a 50ml conical, else the clean-up would make you want the world to end!"

The prof smiles again.

_I knew it! She said that intentionally! Damn that evil…evil woman!_

* * *

The adenovirus plush does remind Natsuki of something…

"_You said this virus needs another virus for…reproducing and whatnot? How do you rule out the possibility that it's the other virus that killed your mom?"_

That was what Nao said last night, and the lifeline she isn't about to let go even now. After that Asahi draft, she was still thinking, thinking…

"_Oi, Nao, stop downing those shots for a sec, will you?"_

"_What, so you can kiss me?" the high-pitched voice tickled her ear as the red-head tangled her hand in the raven hair once more._

"_I'm serious."_

"_Oh?"_

"_Stop acting drunk you idiot. This is about the case. How do I get hold of Yamada?"_

"_Why, you just wait for him till he shows up here…"_

"_I mean, how can I get hold of him _now_!"_

"_Okay, okay," Nao snapped her head back, ear still ringing, "Gosh, Kuga, chill down. I know you want to solve this, but try using your wits more than your goddamn throat. Screaming won't get you nowhere."_

"_Like you are one to say, rushing to sleep with that banker just 'cause he holds this puny, tiny little glimmer of relevance to your mom."_

"_Are you jealous?"_

"_The fuck? With a bitch like you?" Natsuki retorted, though a sliver of pain did manage to lodge into her heart. It was the past. It was long gone. No going back now._

"_Yeah, yeah, I get it," Nao said softly, her nasty grin breaking to a gentler smile, "Yamada ain't the type of guy who would leave contact info behind, ya know? But…"_

"_But?"_

"_I know my way around this place. I saw him a couple times near the Citizen Inn, no doubt he's staying there. Check out the park facing it – seems like a half-decent place for a guy like him to…I don't know…reflect upon himself?"_

"_Yeah, sounds like that kinda guy to me," Natsuki replied, getting up, but not without leaving a light peck on her friend's cheek, "Thanks, girl. I appreciate it, as always."_

"_Yeah, whatever. Just pay the fucking bill."_

* * *

_Switching off the engine, her bike's rumbles faded into the dark night, exhaust catching the wind to be blown away with her breath._

_She stepped onto the dirt path, a narrow one meandering through thin blankets of vegetation. The concrete forest of downtown was still visible in the background, silhouettes under the perfect moon._

_It was the best one could find here._

_The path split at a clearing of sand that stank with piss. The lone bench was occupied by a homeless man in a tattered sleeping bag; others lurked in the cardboard boxes nearby. Natsuki took the less trodden path, one working through tall shrubs giving off a pungent sweetness that would've been nauseating if it did not drive away, ever so subtly, the foul odour ahead._

_This was the cesspool of Fuuka. Supposedly a pond, whatever fish once placed there were long dead to be replaced by a primordial soup of bacteria. The path connected with an arching bridge that led to a stone structure perching in the middle of it, swarmed with flies that waited to pound on the next piece of garbage to be tossed in the brown waters. _

_There stood a man, gripping onto the painted metal railing with exposed bits glowing in the lunar luminescence._

_They matched his eyes, murky, yet glinting._

"_Yamada," she called as she joined him. The man smiled a smile that displayed politeness, but hid everything underneath._

"_Kruger, I heard that is your name?"_

"_Suit yourself," she huffed a reply, knowing full well the man knew exactly what her name really was. It did not matter though. They were but seller and client – names were not needed._

_When the man returned to gazing at the pond, Natsuki joined him, watching as the surface rippled under the wind. The small waves expanded across the water's entirety, crashing into floating Styrofoam, one crest by one pushing them along till they edged up the glass-littered shore._

"_I take it that Kruger-san is not here to watch the pond?"_

"_Well, if you're up to continuing our conversation from last night," she answered, slipping a bill into the man's vest, "You mentioned the virus was AAV-20, correct?"_

"_And what else would you like to know? I recall you still have a deposit with me."_

"_Yes, continue with that. This is for something else – AAV needed a helper virus; what was it?"_

"_I can't be sure, really," Yamada uttered, "Even before you came to me, I have been sniffing around NLPS for Nao-san. That was how I found out AAV-20 was the virus that killed Kuga Saeko – she had been working on the project ever since her arrival at the facility. But with the helper virus, it could be one of many serotypes of adenoviruses – they all could provide the missing machinery for the dependovirus' replication."_

"_Then tell me about the symptoms that showed up before Kuga passed away. And were there records of others being infected?"_

"_The symptoms were non-specific. Just before she was admitted to the hospital, Kuga did take the day off, but it was a vacation day rather than sick leave – the employment records show that she had the form signed the previous day."_

"_So it's more like somebody who decides the stress is getting too much, and wants a day's break."_

"_Yes. In other words, the only symptom would be gradual fatigue. Kuga was admitted to the hospital when they found her unresponsive on a park bench the day she was off, further confirming this hypothesis."_

_So this left two possibilities…_

_Either the AAV was introduced with a plasmid containing the necessary adenovirus genes needed for its replication. In this case, it must be the AAV that killed her mother, or…_

_The AAV was introduced with a novel virus that could generate those necessary proteins. As Nao put it, the AAV was a guise. The novel virus, which induced fatigue as its only symptom, killed but didn't spread. This actually made sense – exotic viruses have not coevolved with the human race, and thus many of them have limited capabilities of spreading from individual to individual. Question was: what was it then? Was it an adenovirus of novel serotype, or an entirely different virus altogether that just produced some of the same proteins? What was really important was who would have it? Who used it as a weapon of murder?_

_Yamada was about to fish out the bill from his pocket, but Natsuki grabbed his wrist and shoved it back in._

"_Keep it. I want you to continue working on the problem. You said Kuga worked with AAV-20 since starting at NLPS? How did you find out?"_

"_By word of mouth, actually. I wanted to find the lab notebooks, but they were well-secured. It would take time for me to fish them out."_

"_So you know personnel from NLPS who worked with her?"_

"_Not so much worked with Kuga-san, but rather, took over her project. The group she headed, HIME or High-energy Induction of Material Exchange, still belongs to the Department of Biophysics at NLPS. Officially, the group uses the virus, AAV-2, to integrate select DNA segments, called phiogenes, into the AAVS1 site on chromosome 19 and monitors the change in phi radiation emissions following the integration. What this means, I have no idea, but you can probably understand more than I when you read her official publications. Nonetheless, it is of little importance, as my intelligence states that, in actuality, the group doesn't even work predominantly with AAV-2, but rather, AAV-20."_

"_Then keep looking into the group. If possible, I want to see their research notes, inventory, and protocols. By the way, I checked the NLPS site, but seems like they don't have HIME listed individually. Do you have a list of personnel currently working with them?"_

"_As I alluded to earlier, HIME is an internal codename for the project which officially belongs to the Department of Biophysics. If you check out their AAV-2 publications, the authors should be part of the group. But who is a central member working with AAV-20 instead of just being involved in the publicly disclosed AAV-2 project front, I do not know the full list. One I do know about is Dr. Tomoe Marguerite."_

"_Where is she now? Still in Schwartz?"_

"_No, she has transferred to Fuuka. She's working for the Graceburt Lab at NSERB."_

* * *

"I will try to get those ordered as soon as possible, Haruka-san," Reito's voice brings Natsuki back to reality. He makes a crisp sound as he flips the page on his notes, moving them onto the next topic of discussion, "If there are no other issues, I suggest that we move onto the project updates?"

At this, Shizuru skims her gaze over the lab members, from the silent Tate and Yukino to the grumpy Haruka who is currently crossing her arms over her _very _ample chest, brows furrowing with impatience. The prof claps her hands together and smiles.

"Very well, Reito-san, let us carry on," she says, "Haruka-san, you look like you're dying to present us with your latest results?"

"None!" she snaps, glaring down Reito this time, "And you know full well why that is the case, Kanzaki!"

"I beg your pardon?" the dark-haired male answers innocently, unfazed by the lioness.

"You heard me just right the first time. Your new student," at this, she points at Tate, finger nearly poking into his eye socket, "Tate Yuuichi doesn't seem to know how to clone his life!"

Everyone erupts in laughter as Yukino tries her hardest at explaining to a stubborn Haruka that there is a difference between "clone his life" and "clone for his life".

"Now Haruka-san, you must admit that is a high expectation," Shizuru rubs it in, "I am sure none of us can clone our lives now, can we?"

"Irrelevant!" she shouts, ignoring the jibe. "You," she points at Tate again, then after a moment of thought points to Natsuki as well, "and you, do you even know what the hell this lab does?"

"Maybe if you would kindly explain, they would understand," Shizuru answers, lowering Haruka's hand from the Raven's face, "So Yuuichi-san's cloning experiment hasn't been working. Why don't you explain to all of us the theory behind the experiments and how it relates to your project? Maybe you can teach Yuuichi-san something, and relating to the _singular purpose_ you are seated here today, you can get the _help_ that _we all know_ you _need_ and find an alternative solution to your problem, alright?"

_Furious_ can't begin to describe the emotions Suzushiro Haruka must be feeling at the moment. Those carefully intoned words jab at her in such an obvious way it's like a hammer repeatedly beating into her thick skull.

Dr. Fujino is scary, very scary indeed – Natsuki realizes.

"Then listen up," Haruka grumbles, "Everybody knows the Law of Conservation of Energy and Mass, correct?"

The undergrads nod. Basic high school science, right? And Fujino has been repeating that damn law over and over in class, so even if Natsuki only attended a handful of lectures, she still got that much out of it…

There are different forms of matter that are inter-convertible. There are different forms of energy that are also inter-convertible. And energy can convert to matter and vice-versa through the famous Einstein equation: E = mc^2

But what energy and matter cannot do are to be created and destroyed. It's like you have a scoop of silly putty. You can kneed it to whatever you want, squish it back to a blob, and kneed it to something else entirely, but it's still silly putty, and it's still there.

"Then comes along phi radiation, fad of the current decade, and shatters that law to pieces, right?" Natsuki adds. Yeah, that was on the damn course she just failed too.

So, when you think of radiation, you think of stuff like…nuclear power plants and Fukushima and devastating earthquakes, right? And poor Marie Curie who didn't know what the hell she was getting herself into by playing with radium, which eventually killed her with aplastic anemia not before she coined the term, radioactivity, to the murderous forces. But then again, all of this is a story for another day.

Radiation is, in essence, a form of energy. Energetic waves and energetic particles that can move through vacuum. Light and heat and radio waves are all radiation. You know how scientists love Greek letters and long ago they have been making up terms like alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation. Phi is just the latest one they've used.

What's special about phi is that nobody knows where it comes from. Well, nothing new for science – one question answered and three more springs up. Nobody knows where it goes, either. Yes, unlike other forms of radiation, it actually disappears.

Back to the silly putty analogy: it's like…glow-in-the-dark putty. You can kneed it together with regular putty and it'd look uniform when the lights are on. Then you turn off the lights and the phi putty is glowing. By the way, you actually borrowed the phi putty from a friend, so when tomorrow comes along, said friend would take it back, and you're left with the regular putty. Darn.

"It doesn't necessarily shatter the Law of Conservation of Energy and Mass, per say," Fujino explains, "We just don't know the method by which it propagates for the time being. We do know it comes from somewhere, and it goes somewhere. Ultimately, the system doesn't increase or decrease in matter or energy."

"So let me guess, we are here to find out?" Natsuki sarcastically replies, to which Shizuru nods happily. Haruka doesn't seem nearly as pleased though.

"Narrowing the question down, we focus on how phi propagates within _E. coli_ dh10b as a model system for other cellular lifeforms," Haruka snaps, "Kanzaki and Tate try to find phiogenes and record the properties of phi emissions attributed to each, I tie these different properties to the different structures of globulins, and Yukino makes a database for these results and uses it to create a program that can model emissions to globulin structure."

Okay, so Natsuki doesn't get what the hell Haruka just said.

"We know that phi radiation has certain properties that are consistent, and certain properties that differ with each other. This is similar to other known forms of radiation, such as electromagnetic radiation. Do you follow me so far?" Reito offers. The undergrads nod.

"So sorta like how visible light and radio waves are both electromagnetic, but visible light has shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies?"

"Yes, so in electromagnetic radiation, wavelength and frequency form the _signature _of a particular wave in the spectrum. In phi radiation, the signature is measured as follows:

Normally phi emissions are in an inactive state. By inactive, we mean that it cannot be measured, because it does not have an effect on the surrounding energy and matter. But when phi emissions hit other emissions carrying an _incompatible signature_, it is activated by converting into a known energy form, such as heat. At this point, it can be detected.

Depending on what is the incompatible signature we use, we are capable of converting phi emissions to energy that excites nearby electrons. The resulting electromagnetic radiation can be measured by conventional means."

"I see, so that's what you record – changes in the emitted electromagnetic radiation, which reflects changes in the signature of the original phi emission that generated it," Natsuki states.

"Excellent," Reito replies, "and in a biological system, certain stretches of DNA seem to affect the emission signature. We call these phiogenes. To identify phiogenes within dh10b, as Haruka-san has mentioned, we fragment the genome to smaller bits of DNA, stick each bit into a different vector, and reintroduce each vector into a new dh10b cell. This is called molecular cloning."

"Right. And I assume your vector can be induced to high-copy numbers so in essence, you have many, many copies of the DNA fragment of interest in your new cell?" Natsuki asks. Reito nods deeply, apparently impressed.

"Absolutely. If the fragment is a phiogene, you would expect that when there are many, many copies in a cell, it would induce some sort of change in the emission signature, right?" He says, but when catching Yuuichi with a troubled look, he continues explaining, "Much like fruit punch. You look at the recipe to see that a lemon is added originally. In a modified recipe, you add ten lemons instead of one. You'd expect the new punch to be somewhat sour. Do the same for all the ingredients of the original recipe, and you'd find out what each one tastes like."

"Okay, now what's the deal with the…globs, if I got it correctly, that Suzushiro is dealing with?" Natsuki asks. The lioness glares daggers at her.

"Goblins, you dimwit!"

"No, Haruka-chan, it's globulins. You got it earlier too."

"Right, globulins!" she exclaims, pointing again, "Remember that! Burn it into your mind!"

"Okay, okay, so what the hell is it?"

"Kanzaki talked about how incompatible phi excites electrons and makes EM radiation that you can detect, right? Well, how do your eyes see? Detecting a spectrum of EM. Same thing, you can detect EM and tell where phi is being emitted. We find they originate from these globular structures, so we call them phi globulins. These globulins form matrices of different shapes, and different matrices emit different signatures. You get it?"

"In a nutshell, these globulins are like the guys who sign contracts, right? Kanzaki gives you all these signatures, you find out who signed what, and Kikukawa makes a database so that next time a signature comes in, you can predict who signed it. Correct?"

"If you prefer that funny analogy, go for it," Haruka barks, "Because Tate can't clone to save his life, I don't have those signatures, as you put it, and therefore can't assign them to anybody. _That_ is the current predicament."

"Well, Haruka-san," Fujino interrupts, "I do believe you can focus on another part of your project for the time being. How about trying to come up with a mechanism by which these different globulin matrix structures alter the phi signature? You have a fair set of data generated for that purpose, and I'm sure our collaborators, the Fraser Lab, has more data to analyze. Talking about the Fraser Lab, their hypothesis of phi conduction across globulins in the matrix contributing to the signature does seem to me like a good start. Yukino-san can help you with the modelling, I'm sure."

As always, the PI gives the vaguest answer, a hint of what can be done with no means of how to do it. It's like saying that "mice breathing fire is an interesting topic of investigation". Ha ha ha, very funny.

"Right, Fujino. Great idea," Haruka's dry voice ends the discussion there. "So this should conclude our project updates, right? Kanzaki and Tate are dysfunctional, so Yukino and I should leech off the Fraser Lab. As expected of a suggestion from you, Prof. If you would now excuse me, I'd do just that."

"I'm sure Colleen-san will wait for you," Fujino says, completely ignoring her complaint, "But first, let us listen to Natsuki's presentation."

"Right…her _presentation_…"

The way Haruka's voice tails off in shaking anger makes Natsuki shiver a little.

What to say?

What to do?

Looking down at the adenovirus plush in her hands, she ponders.

There is only one thing she wants.

Find out who killed her mom.

"From my understanding, the Graceburt Lab next door works with adenoviruses?" Natsuki questions much to Fujino's surprise. The brunette recovers quickly, readying her crimson orbs to pierce into the emeralds.

"More specifically, they use adenoviruses to facilitate the replication of AAV-2, the vector they are using for phiogene therapy investigations. Much like Reito-san, they are investigating phiogenes and how they alter the emission signature, albeit using human cell lines instead of _E. coli_ for their work."

"Yes, I propose developing a high-throughput phiogene screening procedure for the human genome, something similar to what Reito-san is working on for dh10b," she says, staring back at the hard red corundum, "And I will work with the post-doc at their lab, Tomoe Marguerite."

* * *

**End of Chapter 5** – _sorry for the technical details…they are somewhat necessary and I just wanted to get them out of the way. I'd love feedback. Thank you!_


	6. Training

A/N: Thanks to reviewers dhez13, PostoronnimV, crageisfanficcrazy, annoyingLONER, AlexR3, Mini, DancingFireStar, xx Catty xx, a reviewer, NS, Platina GF, 0mauie0, Jet, and the other guests for their kind comments. Sorry for the info dump last chapter. I suppose you got the hang of how lab meetings are like – believe me, I oversimplified everything last time, real lab meetings are much worse. I just lasted through a 2.5hrs one this week…but you didn't need to know that, haha.

Disclaimer: _Mai HiME_ still not mine.

* * *

Glossary:

Gel: in this context, it refers to the gel used in electrophoresis, a process that separates the loaded sample into bands based on the molecular sizes (although the shape of your sample molecule may play a role in migration rates as well, but I'll refrain from the specifics).

PCR: polymerase chain reaction, a method for amplifying a specific region of DNA from the template.

kb: in this context, refers to kilobases of DNA

Cryo-gloves: gloves designed for handling cryogenic (very cold) substances. By very cold, it is usually referring to temperatures down to –190°C typical of liquid nitrogen freezers, therefore, they are not really necessary, and extremely bulky to use, for retrieving things from a –80°C. Nonetheless, most labs have them around the –80°C since those freezers are usually stored with the liquid nitrogen ones anyway.

Flint: this actually refers to a flint spark lighter, which produces sparks from rubbing ferrocerium, not flint, against steel. The ferrocerium is attached to the tip of this rod that is set against a rough steel surface, called rasp. A zinc-plated hood holds the rasp so that as the "flint rod" is drawn across and sparks are produced, hot gases are trapped within for igniting the burner. Labs tend to use these lighters…forever…without replacing the "flint", thus they become notoriously difficult to use.

Transformation: uptake, incorporation, and expression of foreign DNA resulting in a genetic alteration of the host cell.

Metagenomic library: genetic material is recovered directly from the environment and transformed into the host for amplification and expression. The set of host clones made from this material is known as a library.

Lysogeny Broth (LB): rich medium for growing bacteria, such as _E. coli_. Contains tryptone, yeast extract, and NaCl.

Autoclave: an "oven" that sterilizes materials using high pressure saturated steam at 121°C.

L-arabinose: a monosaccharide (simple sugar) often used as an inducer of vector expression, much like lactose.

Eagle: parody of a certain popular brand of disposable polypropylene test tubes, in case you're wondering what the hell am I talking about, hehe.

Epi: lab nerds' affectionate name for 1.5 or 2ml plastic tubes (first produced by the company Eppendorf)

Chloramphenicol: a broad spectrum antibiotic used in the lab to prevent the growth of other bacteria aside from your sample. If your sample contains a chloramphenicol resistance marker, it will grow unhindered while the vast majority of other bacteria that manages to fall into your medium will not grow and will eventually die.

Glycerol stock: concentrated stocks of micro-organisms of interest frozen and stored under high concentrations of glycerol. The glycerol protects the organisms from damage by limiting the formation of ice crystals that can literally poke through them, inside out and outside in. Poor things [cries].

Micropipette: device for aspiration of small volumes of liquid. There is usually a volume control dial that you can use to set the desired volume, and a knob for aspiration and dispense of liquid – with two stop positions, the first stop depressed and then released for aspirating an accurate volume, the second stop depressed for completely ejecting the last bit of residual liquid. The micropipette's shaft component, which is fit with a disposable tip, is what makes contact with the sample itself. Micropipettes can be designated by the maximum volume they can aspirate, such as P2, P10, P200, P1000 (maximum volumes of 2, 10, 200, and 1000μl respectively).

* * *

**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 6 – Training

* * *

_"Yes, I propose developing a high-throughput phiogene screening procedure for the human genome, something similar to what Reito-san is working on for dh10b," she says, staring back at the hard red corundum, "And I will work with the post-doc at their lab, Tomoe Marguerite."_

"Natsuki-san," Fujino's voice takes a grave turn, the polite suffix leaving a slight sting on the girl she is addressing, "my answer is no."

The solidness of her tone gives no leeway to the decision.

No is no. There is no "why not".

"I'm guessing that means you don't want to hear about my presentation anymore, huh?" Natsuki snaps. For some reason, the hardness of her own voice hurts her further.

_Why am I feeling this? What's wrong with me?_

There, the closing red pools that were so warmly enveloping her just a moment ago – that's what's hurting her.

_Damn it._

"We will hear your proposal again next week," the PI finishes, "This meeting is adjourned. You are dismissed."

There is an awkward silence following the abrupt conclusion such that even Haruka is left sitting dazedly as the PI walks out the room, door clicking softly after her. But she recovers soon enough to cast a bored stare at the raven-haired undergrad.

"She's like that. Don't mind her," she says, getting up to leave as well. After Reito exchanges a gaze with Yukino, he nods and leads Tate out too.

The sizzling heat dies down to a gentle warmth with just the chestnut-haired student and Natsuki in the room. Soft footsteps patter towards the cabinet on the side atop which sit several mugs. Yukino holds up Natsuki's and her own, catching the questioning emerald gaze with soft olives.

"Tea?"

Natsuki doesn't understand what the other student is getting at, but she nods, too tired to move from her seat. For some reason, she's feeling devastated, as though Fujino has just slapped her in the face.

"Umm…I don't think we've been formally introduced to each other before," Yukino says when the tea is ready, passing the mug to her, "I am Kikukawa Yukino, master's student going on to second-year."

"Kuga Natsuki, also going on to second-year, but I'm an undergrad, which you already know," she answers dryly, taking the mug. The searing liquid on her lips seem welcoming, steam blowing on her parched face to dissipate with a light, cooling sensation. "So, is tea the official drink of this lab?"

Yukino chuckles a little before taking a sip of her own, "Dr. Fujino does seem to like tea a lot, doesn't she?"

"Which means for some reason, we must form a mini tea-cult after her, huh?"

The bitter joke rings off the walls, unanswered. After a moment of pondering, Yukino starts again, "Umm…if you don't mind me asking, Natsuki-san…is this the first lab you've worked at?"

The kindness radiating off Yukino makes Natsuki stop her angry words at her throat. She can't possibly say _"got a problem with it?" _to someone like her.

"Well…yes…" she answers instead. Yukino nods lightly to the confession, seemingly coming to an understanding for something.

"I suppose this may be a little early for you…but…would you be at all interested in hearing about the grad student dilemma?"

So there is a grad student dilemma? Now why the hell should she know about this?

"Sure, go ahead," she says anyway. She has no idea whether Yukino is as she seems, but she certainly doesn't want to risk hurting the other's feelings.

Could be that Yukino, though a grad student, is probably far younger than Natsuki herself. Now that just leaves her even more bitter about her life…

"So…err…when trying to pick a prof to work with for your thesis, you face this…dilemma," the master's student begins to explain, "Umm…so…as you can probably imagine, grad students don't just start off with the capability of managing their own projects. There is this…transition."

"Okay," she feels obliged to encourage her shy companion to continue. It seems to have an opposite effect though, causing the later to almost shrink in size.

"It may be just me," Yukino mutters, barely heard.

"No, I'm sure it applies to everybody. Don't worry." _– why the hell do I have to comfort a grad student, god damn it?_

"Thank you," the chestnut-haired girl continues, still speaking so quietly that the Raven has to strain her ears, "So…for me anyway, I'd like a prof who would guide me through the process."

"Sounds fair enough to me."

"But…profs who offer guidance…usually pushes you really hard."

"Oh?" – _I still don't get it, really._

"With profs who are more the hands-off type, it can be…challenging." When met with confusion, Yukino hurriedly adds, "As in, you may not know whether or not your project is progressing well. And…umm…you may not know what to do when things don't work."

"Okay, so are you trying to tell me where Fujino stands on this spectrum?"

Cutting to the meat of the topic seems to be taboo with Yukino, as the later shrinks so far back into her couch that the thick ruffles of her hair becomes mostly hidden behind her head. It takes a while before she musters the courage to continue, leaving a crystal-clear reminder to Natsuki not to interrupt her fragile flow next time.

"Umm…so…profs are human."

"Right." – _except Fujino is clearly a demon…_

"And we are all different."

"Of course."

"So…they have different styles…and we have different styles…so…it's not about finding a perfect prof, but rather, one who is a good match for you."

"So that's how you solve the grad student dilemma?"

There is a nod from Yukino, but Natsuki can't join her. She still doesn't get it.

_What the hell does this have to do with me?_

"That's why I like tea."

What a profound statement. Natsuki wants to burst out laughing, but she's scared that Yukino would cry!

"So…uh…good match for you?"

"Better than beer…and wine…I was scared when I heard grad school is mostly about alcohol."

Natsuki stifles an awkward chuckle. At least she recognizes this as a joke…or maybe not.

"So you like tea only because it is non-alcoholic?"

"Umm…yes…a compromise if you will."

Now it dawns on the Raven, "You're telling me to compromise…with Fujino?"

The accusation leaves Yukino silent, hands gripping nervously together. But she manages to choke out some words soon after, "Yes. I…don't want to sound lecturing, but…Dr. Fujino would have her reasons. I understand your frustration, Natsuki-san, because I know you have hopes for your project."

Hopes? For her project?

The idea she came up with randomly, just to shut Fujino's mouth? Just as an excuse to investigate Marguerite?

She realizes the hurt and anger…  
…all stems from the way Fujino denied her recognition.

_Did I really care that much? _Could_ I have cared that much?_

"So even Suzushiro and you make compromises? For considerations you don't even know about?" Natsuki rants angrily. Yukino seems at lost for words, and an uncomfortable silence sets in for a moment before she finds herself again.

"Well…part of a prof's duty is to tell us 'no' when she knows it is a 'no'. Besides, I can't say I can't appreciate her logic this time…which is why Haruka-chan didn't argue with her about your case."

"What!?" _– Suzushiro standing up for me!? You kidding!?_

"I think you…misunderstand Haruka-chan. She wasn't trying to…target you or anything. She just…has her own…principles. Strict principles. And…she measures everybody with the same stick…herself included."

Now that she thinks about it, Natsuki can't rebuke what was said. Suzushiro does seem like that kind of person.

"So what is Fujino's reason?"

"Well…I…umm…I'm just speculating, but…based on what little you have said about your proposal…I can't really determine the feasibility…and…given the four-months term you will be here…and the limited budget we have…an optimization project in collaboration with another group does seem like a good idea. However, the collaboration…uhh…that's probably the problem."

Natsuki swallows. This Tomoe Marguerite…is there something about her that poses a problem? Or something about _Fujino and her_?

"What problem would that be, Kikukawa-san?"

"Ah. I…err…must go back to my experiment now. Would you like to return to your bench as well?"

What the hell? Here she is, having listened to a long speech about random things with minimal relevance to her situation, finally reaching the topic of discussion, and the other girl decides to escape? How can Kikukawa just evade her question like that?

"Fine," Natsuki grumbles, "I will do that."

* * *

The lab is rather quiet when Natsuki returns. Haruka and Yukino seem to have vanished, probably to the Fraser Lab as Shizuru has suggested, leaving Tate alone when the Raven walks in.

"Oh, where's Kanzaki?" she asks as she passes by Tate's bench. The artificial-blond grins.

"He'll be back soon. Just at a meeting with the woman you wanted to work with, Marguerite."

Natsuki quirks an eyebrow at the statement, "What about her?"

"Well, she doubles as the Graceburt Lab manager, which can be quite troublesome seeing as she is somewhat aggressive. Or rather, Dr. Graceburt seems to be the type who won't give an inch in all conflicts, so as her representative, Marguerite acts the same," Tate answers. "That's what I heard from Reito-san anyways."

"Nothing else?" Natsuki leans in intently, forcing Tate back.

"Uhh…is there supposed to be something else about her?"

_She's from NLPS. She worked with AAV-20._

Those are words that Natsuki wants to say, but keeps to herself.

She can't get Tate involved. She shouldn't.

"No. I was just wondering if there is some other reason for Fujino not wanting me to work with her."

"Ahh…" Tate relaxes, leaning back into his chair before suddenly flopping up with a nasty creak from the old seat, "Let me show you the reason. It's perfect timing – let's get back to your bench."

Natsuki reluctantly follows the other undergrad, questions forming in her head. What is up with Tate and Kikukawa today? Both seem to want her back at her seat…like now! "Seriously, what do you know about that woman? Didn't you just come a week before I did?"

"So you haven't noticed yet? Look."

From Natsuki's bench at the boundary between the two labs, Tate points a finger into the darkness that is the Graceburt group. Situated in the middle of the wing, it looks somewhat like a black hole sitting between the Fujino Lab and the one at the other end, illuminated only very slightly by a dim glow filtering through drawn screens over massive windows facing the atrium below. A bright red mass of hair emerges from the hall attached to the entrance, followed by a loud, boisterous voice that vaguely rings a bell in Natsuki's memories.

"Oi, everybody, lunchtime!"

_Oh! It's that cashier! The cashier down at the Café Scientifique!_

"Coming, Midori-san," another familiar voice sounds behind the shadows. Four pink tails of hair swing from side to side as a small figure materializes.

"Shiho!?" Natsuki exclaims to Tate. "I didn't know she's working here too!"

Munakata Shiho is Tate Yuuichi's childhood friend, someone Natsuki is also acquainted with. There is somewhat of a grudging recognition between the two, but most often they're just glaring at each other…or more like Shiho glaring at her.

Then again, it's probably not personal, because Shiho has a sort of obsession going on where Tate is concerned…meaning any female within a five-meters-radius of the young man would receive her fiery glare.

Even when said female is lesbian. Not that she would notice, one would suppose, as her mentality is something along the lines of, "Oniichan is so wonderful even lesbians would turn straight for him".

Which, of course, is utter bullshit, but that's Shiho for you.

"She's been bothering me with an idea that's swimming through her head," Tate answers. "Says she wants to write a blog detailing an undergrad's struggles within an academic lab. Every night she's calling to chat about our work."

_That blog will probably never materialize. What a dense guy, Tate._

"Would you wait a minute?" a male voice interrupts Natsuki's thoughts. It seems to be directed at the red-headed cashier, Midori, who crosses her arms with impatience.

"You know that's supposed to be a 'no', Takeda. Either you get your ass moving this second or keep it glued to your seat; suit yourself."

With that, Midori stomps out the lab from where she came, followed by Shiho who tags closely behind. The student called Takeda seems to be struggling to finish something, as the hurry causes some sort of dominoes effect on his bench, manifesting in a series of thuds and clatters that Natsuki overhears.

"You're lucking today, Natsuki. You'll get to bear witness to Takeda-kun's misery," Tate whispers. Natsuki's eyebrows climb up to her forehead.

"What kind of fetish do you have, Tate? Are you _that_ sadistic?"

"You said you wanted to know Marguerite's problem, didn't you?" Yuuichi retorts, "Oh, here she comes!"

From the opened lab door comes a woman in her late twenties or early-thirties, elegant features readily recognizable by the Raven who has studied her photos the previous night. But unlike her younger counterpart on NLPS' web page, her current hairstyle seems to have adopted an asymmetrical cut, strands dyed blue-green dangling past her right shoulder while they're neatly cropped just short of her left. Her flint-coloured eyes lack that hard quality – rather, they are gently passing over Takeda's coal-blacks as she comes closer to the young man.

"Takeda-san, it seems that you are still busy with your work. Do you have a minute?" her musical voice breaks the silence. But Takeda doesn't seem to appreciate the polite tone at all – he gulps and jerks his head up and down in what are presumably nods.

"Uhh…yes…right away…I'll clean up the mess."

"Don't worry, that can wait. First, would you tell me what you did this morning?"

"I…err…ran a gel."

"A gel for your PCR products from yesterday?"

"…yes…"

"Let me see."

At this, Takeda's dark skin pales almost to white. His lips quiver.

"I…ugh…dropped it."

"It broke?"

"…yes…"

"The fragments?"

"I…well…I dropped it before I loaded the sample."

Marguerite's lips thin into a tight smile. It looks hauntingly beautiful, yet anything but pleased.

"So you did not run a gel after all?"

It's a soft comment, but nonetheless offers no rebuke.

"I…will run one."

"So you're making a gel now?"

"…yes…"

"Has it solidified?"

"I…didn't check yet…"

"Why?"

The sharp inquiry almost draws blood. As though jabbed by a spinal needle, Takeda shoots up from his seat and runs over to the gel dock.

"Right away!" He shouts, then swiftly returns with the results, "Yes, it has solidified."

"And you will run the gel now?"

Takeda's face visibly twitches, "Umm…well…I was planning on running it after lunch…"

"How long are you planning on running that gel for, Takeda-san?"

Marguerite's music is like the song of a Siren; alluring yet undoubtedly dangerous.

"…ugh…forty-five minutes?"

"You have one expected product."

"…yes…"

"It is roughly 1kb."

"…yes…"

"You are only looking for the presence of the product. There is no downstream use for the gel."

"…well…yes."

"Then you _can _use a 1% gel and _can _run it at 120V for fifteen minutes. _Would_ you _need _more than fifteen minutes for lunch?"

The suggestion sounds more like a demand and Takeda knows it.

"No, Ma'am. Absolutely not. I do not need lunch."

"Very well. Don't push yourself too hard, Takeda-san."

With that, the post-doc exits. Natsuki can only roll her eyes at what just transpired.

"Don't push yourself too hard, because I'll be pushing you like shit, huh?" Natsuki remarks to a chuckling Tate.

Patting her back, he says, "So take that frown off your face, Natsuki. Prof. Shizuru was doing you a favour by turning your crazy idea down!"

She frowns even more in response, hoping Tate would get off her case. Inwardly, though, she is met with conflict. Her prof's concern is, logically, an obstruction to her true intentions, but…

…she can't suppress the thin thread of contentment at knowing that Fujino Shizuru is _worried_ about her.

"Oh, Yuuichi-kun, Natsuki-san, do we have a party here?" a voice sounds behind them. Natsuki turns to see Reito standing with a kind smile, like always.

"I was just showing her a typical Graceburt Lab lunch hour," Tate replies, goofy smirk lighting his square face. "By the way, how did the meeting go?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to see the fridge go. Tomoe-san claims we've been taking over their space in the 4°C room, and since the fridge has been placed within their lab boundaries, it is only right for them to put their stuff there."

"And Dr. Graceburt isn't one for sharing, huh?" Tate adds, leading the other man to chuckle with him.

"Well, Natsuki-san, this is why you need not be disappointed over what has just transpired during our lab meeting. I'm sure better arrangements can be made for your project," Reito says in a comforting tone. Natsuki reluctantly nods.

_Right…because you don't know what I'm really trying to do, huh?_

"I take it that you're not convinced?" Reito continues, "Is there a particular reason you would like to work with Tomoe-san?"

She's a little shocked that Reito is so perceptive, but manages to rein in her emotions, putting up an indifferent visage, "Well, isn't she a leading expert in the field? I just thought it'd be cool to work with her, that's all."

"Of course, of course," Reito nods, "Tomoe-san can probably open a lab of her own by now. A record like hers at such a young age would put her en-par with Shizuru-san in terms of sheer capability."

"But she is considerably more intense, eh?" Tate comments. Reito smiles in return.

"Well, she may provide the right driving force for somebody like Takeda-kun, which is probably why Dr. Graceburt gives her so much power over the students. I am not suggesting that Takeda-kun is not self-motivated – it is just that his efforts are sometimes misguided."

_Like a blind bull… that's how he looks for sure…_

Natsuki laughs heartily at the imagery. Poor guy. He may not actually be stupid, but he does look the part.

"So, Natsuki-san, if you do insist on working with Tomoe-san, you must prove yourself next week."

"Huh?" she looks questioningly at Reito, unblinking.

"The second-hearing of your proposal – prove to Shizuru-san that you can handle it, and you can handle _her_."

* * *

Reito's suggestion rings in her head even as she is having lunch with Tate at the eating area.

"The mayo is gonna drip!" Tate warns, snapping her out of her thoughts to lick off the mayo from the edge of her sandwich before it lands on the tabletop, "Dude, you're so preoccupied today. Still thinking about your project?"

"Thinking about how to food-poison Fujino next time I buy her breakfast," she grumbles. It's annoying when her thoughts are so obvious even Tate can make them out. All Fujino's fault.

"As though you would," he snickers. She glares at him.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"No I do not, Tate," she snaps, daring him to continue. He just laughs.

"Fine, fine! Let's just say you do not," he says. "But you certainly do seem to care about what I mean, eh?"

Blushing, she shoves the last bite of sandwich into her mouth, smacks Tate with her empty lunch bag, and shoves through the door towards the labs.

When she tries to shove, similarly, through the lab door, she finds it unyielding. Tugging at the handle, knocking on the door, slamming on it before angrily kicking the metal-plated lower surface, she determines that, indeed, it is _locked_.

"What the fucking…why the…who the hell locked the fucking door!?" she curses under her breath. Right, the female grad students are still at the Fraser Lab. Right, Kanzaki is out for lunch. Right, undergrads, meaning Tate and herself, weren't given keys!

_Oh, how fucking great…_

She turns around to find her prof's office door open to a crack. Peering in, it seems that the other woman has taken off on what is, presumably, a short break.

To wait for her PI, she can either camp outside the lab door, camp three steps away at Fujino's door, or just invite herself into the office.

_As though I haven't done that before._

She kicks the office door to the side and walks in, inhaling the fresh scent of blooming bonsai. The tropical fish are still doing a dance in the rippling tank of water; mesmerized, she moves closer and sits.

"Ara? Who do I have on my chair?"

The voice making her jump can only belong to one person. Of course, isn't it obvious the room's legitimate occupant would come back sooner than later?

Natsuki turns around to face the brunette who, despite the comment, seems rather unfazed. In fact, she swears there is a teasing smile forming on Fujino's face.

"Your warmth was rather inviting. I couldn't help myself," the Raven smirks. She relishes the way Fujino's smile breaks into a near gasp, pink tendrils creeping both cheeks. – _you ain't the only teaser here!_

"As inviting as the residual warmth is, it cannot compare to the real thing," Fujino's momentary lapse fades to a sly borderline-grin. The crimson eyes capture emeralds more strongly than the tropical fish did. Indeed, they are like magnets, and Natsuki can't look away.

_She's…coming…closer…_

The slender fingers nearly graze her heated countenance on their way to gripping her sturdy shoulder.

She almost feel the shoulder slacken and burn.

"Come with me."

* * *

Shizuru swings on a white coat, probably to protect her rather fancy choice of wear today, and heads down the winding corridors of NSERB. Natsuki can only follow as closely behind as possible, matching the taller woman's quick pace that clicks down the smooth linoleum. Problem with research buildings is they are remarkably uniform in design, so uniform that all the halls and rooms seem identical, making it maze-like to a newcomer like the Raven. Soon enough, she becomes completely lost.

_Where the hell is she taking me?_

Coming to a wing that looks exactly the same as their own, the brunette turns a corner and enters a small room where towering –80°C freezers are humming alongside centrifuges in use.

"Come closer," Fujino gestures, prompting the undergrad to raise an eyebrow but oblige anyway. As she nears, the prof swings open the freezer to send a blast of cold vapour in her face.

"What the hell do you want!?"

"Third shelf from the top, tower G, box 6, sample 124. Would you take it out for me, please?"

_What the fuck? Can't you take it out yourself?_

Natsuki grudgingly reaches for the third door from the top of the freezer, swings it open, and hooks onto the latch of tower G. When it doesn't bulge, she tucks harder on it, only to abruptly retract her fingers from the metal by reflex.

"Shit! It is so fucking cold!"

"Are you alright, Natsuki? Would you like help?"

The amused tone is taunting her. She snaps, "Like hell!"

Growling, the Raven gloves her hand with the end of her sleeve, bites down on her lips, and yanks the darn tower out of its place. Retrieving box 6 from the frozen mass is much more difficult, and she finds herself having to use her bare fingers to scrape off the ice accumulated on the edges before she can slide out the box and open the tight paper lid, nearly tearing it in the process. Then comes finding sample 124, which she quickly learns is not placed exactly in order with the others. She eventually finds it between samples 89 and 128, whatever those are supposed to be.

"Seems like you need to learn how to count, Prof," she grumbles as she shoves the box in place, jams the tower back onto the shelf and slams the freezer door closed. Shizuru smiles.

"I'm sure you can do a better job. I take it that you want to reorganize all the samples in the near future?"

"No!" she exclaims, a rare terrified look forming on her stern face. It makes the prof chuckle.

"Here," the brunette says, taking the Raven's cold hands into her own. Her grip is strong and secure, dry, callused skin pressing firmly into equally weathered counterparts. The warmth is burning as it is rubbed into Natsuki's frozen fingers, searing through stiff joints to ease them to relaxation.

She sees red.  
Shizuru's heat as red, licking deep into her blue.  
Flames so bright and passionate, yet undeniably demanding.

It is just a hold of hands, but…  
She doesn't know how to let go.

"I thought Natsuki would want to reorganize the freezer, just to relish in this _real _warmth again."

She is caught without words. How corny. The metaphor running through her soliloquy – how corny. Yet…she still can't let go!

_She probably isn't even gay._

That finally makes her snap, jerking her hands back from the other. Is it not logical to conclude that Fujino is likely gay given her actions, her teasing? Is it not logical that Fujino is probably interested in her?

_No, it doesn't matter.  
Most women aren't gay.  
Fujino can be just one of those who like to tease men _and_ women either way.  
Besides, even if she were, she probably doesn't like me.  
I mean, come on, she teases Suzushiro and heck, I can't imagine them being involved.  
And so what if she does like me?  
So what?  
She's…what the fuck…my prof!?  
Why the hell am I even thinking about this?_

"You know…ugh…" Natsuki awkwardly answers Fujino's questioning stare, "…thanks."

"Thanks?"

It's not a questioning stare, it is one of hurt, but Natsuki's logical mind cannot deduce the correct answer.

Still, it tugs at her internally.

Somehow, it makes her say it – the partial truth.

"Thanks…ugh…for warming up my hands. Umm…yeah…thanks, really."

"My pleasure…any time."

For a moment, they just stand there, smiling at each other. Even if it were just a fleeting moment, even if it were just so miniscule of a comfort in this world…it patches up the hollow in her chest…ever so slightly.

_Fujino…I guess…for once I'm glad…  
That instead of failing an old geezer's course, I failed yours._

_Maybe, just maybe, we can be…  
At least…  
Sorta…  
Friends._

"By the way, Natsuki…"

Interrupted by the gentle voice, she looks up.

Stares.

Jaw-drops.

Then narrows her emeralds to a demonic glare at the pair of cryo-gloves held up in the latter's grip.

"Nevermind!"

"Huh?"

"I said, nevermind, I hate you, Fujino Shizuru!"

* * *

Back at the lab, alone with Fujino, the latter is still giggling.

"What is so funny?" Natsuki dares her answer with a dead-pan stare. The brunette tries to stop.

"Nevermind."

The word, _nevermind_, in itself is a reminder of her disgrace.

"Dr. Fujino Shizuru, I warn you, I may not have a PhD but I can certainly…"

"Do many things with me, yes, and I may just oblige to some of them."

Her face flushes from the suggestion and her own vivid imagination. Damn Tate. Damn Nao. Damn Chie. Damn them for ever tying her with this woman.

"Oblige to my killing you, sure."

"That would depend on how you decide to proceed. If you kill me with _pleasure_, I might just be unable to resist."

Trying to beat this woman in her own game is futile. It'll never happen, and by now, the Raven's head feels about to explode!

"So what the hell do you want me to do with that sample 124?"

"Oh, I'll teach you how to inoculate medium. I suppose if you are going to start a project, especially if it'll be in collaboration with another group, you'll first need to be trained in the basics."

"Right…the basics…" she answers, donning on gloves as Fujino is doing. The latter grabs a 70% ethanol bottle from the side to spray the bench clean, then does the same for her gloves, rubbing them till the alcohol evaporates. After that, she turns on the gas, strikes the flint, and lights up the bunsen burner set at the center.

"In practicality, the main concern working with lab strain _E. coli_ is not its potential pathogenicity, which is, as I've previously mentioned, a very unlikely situation. This is why we can work on an open bench instead of a biosafety cabinet. However, certain sterile techniques still need to be employed to prevent contamination. Do you follow me so far?"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsuki replies, spraying her gloves with alcohol as well. At this, the brunette nods and turns off the burner.

"Very good. I suppose spraying down a bench isn't too difficult to do, so how about we practice lighting the burner?"

"You serious!?"

She feels ridiculed, but nonetheless follows the directions, turning on the gas to attempt lighting it with flint. As easy as Shizuru made it seem, she can't get a single spark in the process. Changing grips and trying again, it still doesn't work. Doing it with two hands and still no luck. At this point, the smell of gas fills the air, prompting Shizuru to turn it off.

"I suppose we do need the practise, don't we?"

"Shut up," she growls, gripping strongly onto the lighter to try again. The frustration only leads the flint rod to slip out the circular hood. She glares, wrenching it back in place.

"Here," Fujino says, placing her hand overtop Natsuki's. Even through the nitrile gloves, she can still feel it.

_The warmth…_

"Sometimes harder and faster is not the best way to proceed," Fujino says with what Natsuki swears to be a snickering hint. She turns her glare to the older woman who only gestures her to look down at the lighter instead. The dexterous fingers resting over her own curl around the flint rod, pressing it down against the rasp while her thumb pushes up the other rod attached to the hood. "Make sure there is good contact between the rasp and the flint, then with moderate speed and strength rub it across. See?"

She finds herself captured by the explosion of sparks, like fireflies, flashing across the rasp held in zinc-plated palms seemingly tinted gentle scarlet, reflection of the older woman's eyes. As the smoke dissipates, she turns her gaze to those scarlets, wondering, wondering without realizing, what it'd be like if those sparks were fireworks in a night sky, lighting up the crimson mirrors.

Watching  
Fireworks  
_Together_

"So?" the slurred voice interrupts her musings, laced with amusement. She growls.

"So I'll make it work this time," she declares, trying again.

_Not too fast and hard_ – she blushes  
_The fuck!? What kind of analogy was that?_

But the only way she can get it to work is to replay the scene in her mind, imagine those strong hands on hers again, grasping, guiding her fingers across. Her will lights the sparks across the hood, lights her own smile.

"See?" she taunts with a grin. Shizuru smiles.

"Good for you. But, in case you haven't already noticed, for the purposes of lighting a burner, you may want to turn the hood over so it is _actually_ facing the gas, that is, _when you do decide to turn it on_."

* * *

After much struggle and embarrassment, the burner is finally running and her bench cleaned and ready to go. Shizuru holds up sample 124 and starts explaining what they are going to do.

"As Reito-san has explained earlier, we investigate phiogenes by isolating DNA fragments, transforming each back into the bacterium through a plasmid vector, then inducing each plasmid to high copy numbers. This is not unlike how traditional metagenomic libraries are created and functionally analyzed."

"So back to the fruit punch analogy? Each phiogene is an ingredient in the punch. You take the lemon, add ten instead of one, then the new punch is super sour and you brilliantly deduce that, 'Oh my God! Lemons are sour!' right?"

"Elegant and descriptive. I'm impressed," the PI approves, "This sample is one such 'new punch' containing a _lemon _that I hypothesize to taste rather _sweet and hot_. Of course, we'll need to _perform_ many more _lemons _to find out if I am indeed correct. But I assure you, the process will be very _pleasurable_."

The implications are killing her, she swears!

"Forget anything citrusy! So we have a plasmid in this sample of bacterial clone and we want to induce the number of plasmids to go up, right?"

"Exactly. We shall inoculate medium containing the inducer, and we'll expect the copy number to go up. The medium we'll use is lysogeny broth, or LB, which I've already prepared and autoclaved for your convenience. The inducer we have here is L-arabinose, which is at a 1000x stock concentration. I will show you how to do this once, so watch carefully."

She watches with bored eyes at first, noting all the materials lined up at the bench, first the litre bottle of LB, then a 5ml round-bottom, 50ml Eagle tube and two 1.5ml Epi, one containing L-arabinose, another the antibiotic, chloramphenicol. But as the scientist starts working, Natsuki finds herself entranced by the dexterous movements. Everything is so well-coordinated. Everything is so fluid. How can something simple as adding a bit of bacteria into medium be so captivating? There are so many little details to be aware of that she would've never thought made a difference.

"So you first aliquot a bit of medium into a 50ml Eagle to prevent contaminating your stock. Remove the cap and make sure it is placed facing down on the clean bench so contaminants can't fall in as you perform this procedure. Then, pass the lip of the bottle across the flame for sterilization before pouring, and pass through again afterwards to make sure it is clean before sealing with the cap. Speed is a crucial part of sterile technique. Common sense: keeping things covered would keep them clean."

She stares at the other woman single-handedly opening the 50ml tube and closing immediately after medium has been poured before quickly closing the litre stock bottle with its cap. Then, she moves onto pipetting 2ml of medium into the round-bottom tube. By now, both the L-arabinose and chloramphenicol have thawed, so she adds those as well.

"Both the arabinose and chloramphenicol are at 1000x stock concentration, meaning the additional volume is negligible. Remember metric units? 1ml is 1000μl, so if we have 2ml of medium, adding 2μl of each of these reagents would bring them to, roughly, the working 1x concentration. Does this make sense?"

"How convenient," she answers flatly, trying to hide her excitement. She really doesn't know why she is so excited. There is nothing interesting about all this, right? But the way her PI works…for some reason, she just can't look away.

"Convenience doesn't come with coincidences. You must make it happen; make the stock at 1000x so it will become convenient to use," the brunette replies genuinely, a peaceful smile forming while she concentrates on her work, "Part of working in science is thinking ahead. What is the big picture? What do you want to know about it? How can you find the answer? Look at what is big, narrow it down, but never lose sight, yet never lose faith in yourself, when you review where you fit in the large picture you first imagine. Think of yourself in a filled stadium, one in thousands and thousands of people watching the game. In reality, you are just a speck in the world, unobservable from space, like the chloramphenicol with negligible volume in the medium to which it is added. But does that make you useless? Does it make your research, the very small number of questions you manage to answer, useless? Think back to the chloramphenicol. It serves its purposes, doesn't it?"

She sees now…

There is a special beauty to be admired when someone is doing something she loves.

But what she can't see is that this beauty is being amplified thousand-fold…

…in the eyes of a true admirer.

"Cool," she manages to say. She actually means it.

"Tap the tube gently to mix the chloramphenicol and arabinose. Now we add the glycerol stock of sample 124, which contains _E. coli_ transformed with our DNA of interest. With a sterile tip, draw up 1μl and dispense into the medium. Ideally, the glycerol stock should not be frozen and thawed too often, thus even during the inoculation procedure, it is best to just pick a bit of frozen stock and dispense, both the culture and the sterile tip, into the medium. However, our training seems to have taken us a little too long and the stock has already thawed, but do keep this in mind next time. Now, we can incubate this liquid culture overnight for use tomorrow. Of course, Natsuki will show me everything she has learned before we wrap up, right?"

"Heck, I'd be totally awesome with such a _skilled_ teacher, eh?"

"Ara, I think Natsuki takes me for a technician," Shizuru chuckles, "While it is certainly not my job to teach my undergraduate student basic lab techniques, I will make an exception for someone as adorable as you."

_Adorable!?_

She feels the need to chuck a mouthful of Fujino's tea into her oral cavity, just to spit it out for better effects.

* * *

The day wanes on with Shizuru teaching Natsuki more techniques, guiding her through how to use the micropipette, teasing the latter with the notion that she enjoys "hand-on-hand training", and otherwise making utterly inappropriate comments that irritates the heck out of the Raven (or so she tries to convince herself without knowing that she actually prefers this trend to continue). It takes them to dusk, and they end the day by cleaning up the empty lab.

"Work here seems pretty relaxed, huh? Everybody's out already," Natsuki says.

"Well…it is not a regular occurrence, admittedly. All the better for us though, right?"

The Raven blushes, her will to retort long vaporized. The brunette inches closer, making her conscious mind scream in protest, yet her body refuses to move.

The older woman opens her mouth to speak. She's so close that Natsuki can faintly feel her breath.

"If you don't mind, Natsuki, would you like to stay with me a bit longer?"

Gone. All gone.

Any remaining thought process has been busted.

"I…ugh…wha…umm…I…actually…I'm supposed to head out at 5, right?"

"Oh, of course, we will be heading out," the crimson lips part and touch as she speaks, that intense red matching her burning eyes, "To my place, if you agree to this proposal."

Natsuki finds her mouth agape, speechless.

* * *

**End of Chapter 6** – _I'd love feedback, thank you! Hope you enjoyed it._


	7. Dinner Party

A/N: Thanks to reviewers topsy krets, rukia 1205, littleleadbelly, bubble duckie, Reviie, PostoronnimV, Touyou no Shinju, madam claudia, NS, crageisfanficcrazy, Mini, Anon, maria, noraily, noah114, annoyingLONER, imani456, Platina GF, and all the guests who kindly left comments. Once again, very sorry for the overload of technical details, I'll try to cut back this time. In response to some of the reviews, most of the science described in this fic belongs to the microbiology and molecular biology fields, with tidbits of physics spiced on top. I'm about as bad as everybody else in terms of chemistry, unfortunately, and while it is something I'm still working on in real life, I certainly don't want to do unnecessary research for this fanfic-writing/stress-venting exercise. One of the only reasons I based this fic in a lab setting is because I know enough to write without additional research, unlike Japanese history which I'm so utterly unfamiliar with that I only managed to spew three chapters in half a year…argh. I wonder when that particular ShizNat story will ever make it on this site [sighs]

Disclaimer: _Mai HiME_ not mine, of course.

* * *

Glossary:

Phiogenealogy: fictional concept stating that an individual's unique phi emissions can be analyzed to resolve their lineage. Research topic of the Graceburt Lab.

Co-supervision: when a graduate student is supervised by more than one individual. At least one of the co-supervisors must be a full-time tenure-track faculty member of the university. The other supervisor can be a qualified individual from a non-tenure-track position (senior instructor, for instance), or even from a different institution, so long as he/she is approved by the graduate program. It is, however, most common that both supervisors are full-time tenure-track faculty members.

Sabbatical: in the academic sense, a sabbatical is an extended leave (often two months to a year) taken by an individual (professor) for achieving some sort of goal, such as research abroad or writing a book.

Tenure: a senior academic's contractual right to not be terminated without just cause. College instructors can be broadly divided into two categories, tenure-track (those who are eligible to apply for tenure) or non-tenure-track (those who cannot achieve tenure). The lowest tenure-track rank is Assistant Professor (the rank that Shizuru holds in this story). Upon application, acceptance, and granting of tenure, most are promoted to the rank of Associate Professor. A second promotion to the rank of (full) Professor can also be attained. The tenure system is designed to protect academic freedom, allowing a tenured individual to perform research and hold views that are not necessarily in conformance to the institution's mainstream ideas without running the risk of losing their jobs. However, the tenure system is criticized as the reason behind the "publish or perish" phenomenon due to its "up or out" policy (see below).

Up or out: there is a restricted period of time (four to seven years) for a junior academic of the Assistant Professor rank to attain tenure before he/she is asked to leave the institution. As the decision for granting tenure often involves evaluating a candidate's performance through his/her publication record, this creates a pressure for junior academics to focus on publishing papers in scientific journals rather than teaching in order to attain tenure and avoid being terminated.

* * *

**Fujino Lab**

Chapter 7 – Dinner Party

* * *

_"Oh, of course, we will be heading out," the crimson lips part and touch as she speaks, that intense red matching her burning eyes, "To my place, if you agree to this proposal."_

_Natsuki finds her mouth agape, speechless._

"So?"

The silky voice nudges gently into her thoughts. She can't think anymore. It's as though her tongue is molten…

…or maybe it's her mind.

"Uhh…err…well…what are we gonna do there…?"

Fujino quirks an eyebrow in amusement, "Well, that'd depend on what Natsuki wants to do, right?"

Many…many…things.  
Too many things swarming her overly imaginative brain.

"I'm hungry! Eat! I'll eat!" she declares with a shout to clear everything in her head. It's not working.

"I wonder what would best satisfy Natsuki's hunger…let's see…something sweet and hot and lemony-"

"What is it about lemons that you love so damn much, Fujino!" She snaps, only to regret the next second.

"Oh, would you like a detailed account of my reasons? Well, first, they are very wet-"

"Stop! Don't say it! I don't want to know!"

"You sure?"

"Positive!"

She's about to explode now.

Shizuru giggles, prompting her face to turn from a deep scarlet to a steamy crimson. _Damn that woman. Damn her. Damn her to the deepest levels of whatever hell there is._

"Fine, fine. I'm sure we'll have something for Natsuki. If all else fails, there is also delivery. But really, I do attest that lemons are-"

"No lemons!"

"Alright, lime then. I can live with this for the time being-"

"No! I said no!"

* * *

They arrive at the parking lot moments later. Despite the malfunctioning lights flickering in the corner, it is well lit from the setting sun casting long shadows from the few cars parked there. Their meaningless conversation swerves to a new topic when the red gaze lands on the flashing fluorescent panels, "Natsuki, are you afraid of the dark?"

"What kind of question is that? Hell no!"

"Actually, I am. It's a shame that it is not dark this evening."

"Are you trying to tell me you're masochistic?"

The older woman leans in, "Oh, is Natsuki interested? Let me guess, you're sa-"

"I'm not sadistic!"

"Sadistic? I was asking whether Natsuki is Sagittarian, seeing as you are always so curious about things."

That smile. That wicked smile. Natsuki is inwardly damning herself three million times for ever blurting out the S-word before Fujino had the chance to speak!

"Aren't you a scientist!? You believe in this shit?"

"Seeing as I am Sagittarian myself, I simply related my personality traits to the zodiac sign. I thought it would make an interesting topic of discussion."

_She is certainly Sagittarian. Just look at that ego._

"August 15th. I'm Leo. My ruling planet or star or whatever is the sun…so…yeah…not afraid of the dark; remember it!"

_Shit, why did I demand her to remember?_

"I will, Natsuki, I will remember to come to you for refuge when it is dark."

There is an awkward silence as the promise sinks into the Raven's mind. Why? Why did Fujino just acquiesce so easily? The more she thinks of it, the more she heats up, blush blooming across her porcelain countenance.

"We're here," Shizuru says, pointing at her car, "Would you like a ride?"

She wants to say yes, but...

No! Definitely no! She needs to clear her mind. She needs a break from this annoying, irresistible…

_Irresistible? Where did that come from; I'm not Suzushiro! Irritating. Yeah, that's right. Irritating old hag!_

"No thanks. Just tell me your address, I'll get there."

"Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to find. I do think it's best we travel together."

"No. I don't think so."

"Why? Is there something about me that-"

"No! Nothing wrong with you!" _And why the hell do I have to defend her, what the fuck? _"Umm…well…I mean…I just don't like the smell of cars. Yeah. That leathery smell…it's disgusting. I much prefer fresh air."

"Oh, Natsuki drives a motorbike?"

"Yeah…so…"

"So let me ride with you then."

_Oh-God-Yes…I mean no!_

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why? Does Natsuki's bike not have a passenger seat? No extra helmet?"

_Shit, it has both!_

"Ugh…I ride fast."

"Exciting."

"No, it's not…it's really not that safe."

"Then Natsuki should ride more safely, for your own sake and mine."

_Crap. I just remembered…she has a fucking PhD!_

_Doctor of philosophy, man! I can't beat her in a philosophical debate!_

* * *

"It's really not a great idea to be riding a bike in your…ugh…sleek outfit," Natsuki says. Her continuous rebukes are not working, and at this current moment, she finds Fujino climbing onto her backseat, crotch almost digging into her ass.

And it's goddamn sexy, she must admit.

"If you mean my dress, it's fine, just riding up a little."

What an understatement! The Raven can't help but sneak a peek at those gorgeous thighs now coming around to cradle her own. Those gorgeous, _exposed_ thighs.

"You sure that…ugh…_dress_ is just riding up…_a little_?"

_That ain't no dress! It's a weapon of mass destruction!_

"I'm sure it's fine with the local bylaws. I'm wearing tights after all. Full-cover clothing in the lab, right?"

_Not like that's helping!  
Those tights…sure…are…tight. Might as well not wear any…_

_This is illegal!_

_This is so fucking illegal!_

The thighs shift a little as her passenger gets comfortable, the fidgeting felt so clearly on her backside that she swears she can feel Fujino's pubic bone.

_Probably just my imagination._

_Definitely just my imagination._

_Heck, there should be almost an inch between our seats!_

"You done moving around yet?" Natsuki tries her best to speak steadily. Is it just an illusion, or is her voice actually shaking?

"Just one sec," Fujino trails off, pulling herself forward with arms latched around Natsuki's waist. There is certainly collision, and the Raven flushes like mad, "Here. Done."

"My God…"

"Sorry?"

"No, it's nothing. Nothing, ugh…I…guess…it might be good if you…umm…keep holding on tight. For safety, I mean."

"My pleasure to oblige."

And so they speed off into the night, summer heat dying down to cool sea breeze as Fujino directs her student across a bridge connecting the university peninsula with North Fuuka, a district across the narrow strait splitting town. Much to the prof's surprise, her student seems to be navigating the winding roads just fine, swerving in and out of lanes in smooth, rounded motions.

"You seem rather familiar with North Fuuka," Shizuru comments. The raven-haired girl smirks.

"Told ya I won't need directions."

"Have you been here many times?"

With that, Natsuki's expression dims, and Shizuru notices it even behind her dark visor. It's the same disappointment from earlier today, the one that stung the brunette with hurt, yet undeniably lit a thread of excitement in her pounding heart.

The younger girl cares about her.

"Used to live here," Natsuki finally answers, cutting her off her thoughts. She says this with such a gruff tone that it gives an absolute conclusiveness to her words, lowering bars on further questions. Shizuru wishes she would tell her more, trust her more, but she knows…she must know…

Everybody has something hidden.

"Natsuki?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

There is silence as the Raven registers the apology. She grits her teeth. What the hell? Why did she have to go all angsty and shit just because Fujino asked her the obvious?

"It's nothing really."

Shizuru smiles, not knowing whether Natsuki can see it. It doesn't matter, as she holds her tighter while they round the next bend, warmth seeping between the two of them.

"I think you misunderstand," she says softly in her smooth accent. Natsuki jerks a little, almost wanting to turn back to look at the crimson eyes gazing warmly at her back.

"What?"

"I was apologizing for earlier today – about your project proposal."

"Oh?" she relaxes, smirking once more as confidence returns to her, "So you're regretting your decision, eh?"

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I do continue to hold my position."

"Che-" Natsuki grumbles, "then what the hell are you apologizing for?"

"For not giving you rightful recognition for your work. I read your notes. They are very informative, very well organized."

"So it's Tomoe then?"

"Sorry?"

"Tomoe Marguerite. You won't let me do the project because of her?"

There is an awkward silence as Natsuki somewhat regrets blurting out her statement. Soon enough, though, Fujino relaxes, slumping down again onto her back.

"Let's not make such bold assumptions, Natsuki. Tomoe-san is a brilliant post-doc; there is nothing I can complain about her abilities. Rather, let's just say this is a political decision. Admittedly, dealing with these issues is the least favourite part of my work."

It disturbs Natsuki that Fujino won't elaborate on the issue, but she keeps silent about the matter, knowing that her boss has just let her off the hook earlier too. She'll find out sooner or later anyways – she's going to make the brunette take back her "political decision" next week, regardless.

"Politics," she utters instead, "So it seems Tate wasn't lying when he said research is never about pure academic interest."

"Did he say that?" Shizuru says with a chuckle. Natsuki laughs.

"Yeah, said it's something he learned by working at your lab. Say, Fujino, what's your not-so-purely-academic interest then?"

"Admittedly, some of the research we perform is for the funding. But I assure you, the funding is put to good, legitimate uses."

"Oh, like paying your salary?"

"I believe the university pays for that. Our funding really just goes back to students as yourself – to keep you all satisfied and happy."

"So tell me, why haven't I noticed my satisfaction yet?"

"Isn't my Natsuki needy," Shizuru teases, leaning in to brush her breath against the younger woman's exposed nape, "Tell me, how can I better satisfy your…"

"No way in hell I'd ever be satisfied until you pass that damn course of mine!" Natsuki cuts her off to avoid the inevitable discomfort associated with the other woman's suggestive remarks, "Face it, you get funding for the students so they can get paid and continue working so you can keep your job. Is that it?"

Hoping against all odds that her futile joke would swerve Fujino off topic, Natsuki concentrates on the next turn that takes them onto an unpaved path leading uphill. This side of mountainous North Fuuka yields an unobstructed view of the open ocean flanking town, dotted on the coast with lights that shimmer like stars on a moonless night. Shizuru's eyes are not trained on the panoramic view, however. They're still set on her student's back, glinting with mischief as she continues her teasing.

"Can't I genuinely want my students to be happy?"

"Not saying you can't – just saying I don't believe it."

"You need a reason?"

"Sure, why not."

"Because I like them?"

"Them?" _Shit. I didn't just say that._

"I like you, Natsuki."

_This isn't what it sounds like._

_She likes me, as a student._

_That's it. Just as a student. Nothing more._

"You like me _too_, that's what you're proclaiming…as though that's even a reason."

"Well, I like Natsuki as an individual as well, not just lumping you with everybody else. Should I attempt to go through your endless list of admirable personal traits to boost your confidence? First, I think…"

"No, please don't."

"Why? Your silky raven hair is nothing to be embarrassed about, even if it gets tangled with…"

"I said no! And what does my hair have to do with working at your lab?"

"Nothing. Although since we're off work, I do believe we can have a friendly chatter about matters outside of the lab."

"No!" the Raven snaps, then her churning mind slowly shifts in the latter's favour, "I mean…well…we can talk about other things…but…just…let me get used to this first."

"Get used to…?"

"Used to friendly chatter with a prof. For the longest time I thought this were a paradox."

She isn't kidding when she says this. Never in her life has she ever thought she'd become friends with the prof who failed her "Intro to biophysics" course.

But Fujino…she's just so different.

So different from the others, yet so similar to Natsuki herself.

She can't even tell why she thinks so. There's just this…connection between them – a super genius and an over-aged delinquent.

Wanting to hide, yet also wanting to come out.

Wanting to stay in their protective barricades, yet also wanting someone to break that same barricade.

Nobody understands.

They don't care to clarify what is it people should understand.

But just wishes…keep wishing that someone would…

Fujino chuckles, "Excuse me? Correct me if I'm wrong, but your previous impression of me was a…sabre-tooth tiger?"

"Where did that come from?"

"My idea of a monster?"

"How is that a monster? I'd imagine it to be rather cute…" her argument trails off as the path splits ahead, "Okay, which way?"

"Left. That would take us onto my driveway."

And the literally breath-taking building looming ahead stops whatever remnants of a conversation taking place. Natsuki's jaw drops as the bike makes an abrupt stop past the automatic gates onto the "driveway" she's inclined to call a plaza.

"Welcome home, Miss Shizuru. I see that a new guest has arrived," a maid with trimmed silver locks says while the two climbs off the bike. The Raven still seems too stunned to respond, leaving the brunette to reply in her usual pleasant smile.

"She is Kuga Natsuki, my new summer student. Natsuki, meet my housekeeper, Miyu Greer."

"Housekeeper!" Natsuki can't help but exclaim despite provoking no response from the stone-faced housekeeper in question, "…I mean…hey…I'm Natsuki."

"My pleasure to meet you, Miss Natsuki," she replies, expressionless countenance remaining as still as ever while she gestures ahead, "this way please."

The atmosphere within the mansion shuts Natsuki up. She whirls her head around, taking in the three-storey high dome ceiling at the entrance, crowned by a massive chandelier. Specks of crystal-diffracted light dances on the smooth marble floor that curls up a spiral staircase connecting the levels.

"Holy shit…" Natsuki whispers harshly to the brunette, "Are you really that smart or did you take a bribe? How the hell can you afford this place? And your housekeeper?"

"I can't," comes the cheerful reply, "It is rather embarrassing to admit, but this is a family villa."

They lead the Raven towards the sound of chatter a short distance away. She quirks her eyebrow as she begins to discern a good half-dozen voices at the end of the hall. By the time she meets the scene that greets her at the vast dining area, she scowls, face burning.

_Why the hell did I over-react to her invitation to begin with?_

_This is just a fucking nerd party!_

"Welcome to the Fujino Lab, Natsuki!" everyone in the room welcomes the newcomer – Haruka and her sarcastic drone, Yukino's barely-heard murmur, Tate's hot-blooded shout and Kanzaki's undeniably normal greeting. The room is also filled with the Graceburt Lab people, in addition to a couple new faces she doesn't recognize, all sitting under a "Welcome" banner hanging from a giant naginata on display. One such, a little girl with massive spikes of blond pulled back by a frilly headband, waddles towards them, bubbling ice-cream soda in hand.

"Shizuru-oneesama."

The brunette bends down to pat her small back, nudging her gently to face the Raven.

"This is my new student, Natsuki. Natsuki, meet my younger sister, Alyssa."

"Emm…hey," she greets awkwardly before turning to glare at the elder Fujino again, "So enlighten me, what exactly is this?"

"Your welcome party?"

"No duh? And from my understanding, I don't know half the people here!"

"Oh, could it be that Natsuki is disappointed she doesn't get to spend some quality alone time…"

"What alone time!?" She blushes, almost wanting to shove her hand into Fujino's mouth. The latter only widens her smile.

"You can stay after the party; there is ample space. Not a necessity, I must clarify, as I am happy enough to share…"

"I'm sharing nothing with you, Fujino!" She snaps with a glare. "Just introduce me to the others already, if this really is my welcome party!"

Shizuru acquiesces, gesturing over to the others, "Here are the members of the Graceburt Lab: their PhD Candidate Sugiura Midori, Master's student Takeda Masashi, and undergrad summer student Munakata Shiho."

Shiho pretends to be completely oblivious of her introduction, continuing her ongoing mission to seduce (unsuccessfully) Tate. Midori is too drunk to notice, laughing while pounding the back of a woman seated beside her. Takeda is the only one who responds, edging over to deliver a million-dollar poster smile to the Raven.

"Yeah, I know who our neighbours are at any rate…the others?"

"I am Midori's friend, Sagisawa Youko."

"She's the resident medic – to keep Midori from killing herself with alcohol," a woman with pale brown locks neatly cropped at shoulder-length comes forth to introduce herself, "I am Anh Lu, official freeloader of the Fujino household."

"Oh Anh, how can you say that about yourself?" Shizuru's silky tone washes out the nonchalant remark while she reaches around to pull Anh closer, "Natsuki, Anh is an old friend of mine from my grad school days. She's helping me take care of Alyssa now."

They're picture-perfect, the two brunettes and the blond child between them, so bright, so happy it's as though they were glittering like some fictional vampire princesses or something…Natsuki suppresses a subconscious flinch, almost failing to comprehend the message her body is sending.

_What the hell is wrong with Fujino having a family? It's normal for somebody in her late twenties right? Not everybody is a loser like me…_

"Natsuki-san?"

"Natsuki-san?"

She only notices that she's staring at the bewildered trio when she registers the voice calling by her other side. It's that dumb Master's student from their neighbouring lab. What is his name again?

"It's Takeda, right? Nice to meet ya," she answers, turning away from the scene that her irrational side wants to overlook. Shizuru is caught unawares, still standing in her place while Anh narrows her gaze into questioning slits. Natsuki doesn't see it though, as she fixes her eyes on the dark-skinned young man in front of her, tracing them along his jagged facial structure, from the high cheeks down to the strong jaws capping the stone-hard neck muscles below. He blushes.

"If-if you don't mind, Na-Natsuki-san, want me to…err…get you a drink?"

"Sure, thanks," she says absentmindedly, almost regretting letting the guy go as she now has nowhere to set her attention on but back to the "perfect family". She inwardly cringes.

_What's wrong with me? It's not like she's my wife or something…just pretend nothing's happened and get on with this party shit!_

She decides that she can really do with the beer that Takeda is getting her. In fact, she's so eager for it that she almost runs away from the stunned hosts, following the love-struck puppy to the fridge and back to their seats on the sofa. He's yapping all the way, but she really doesn't notice.

"Shizuru?" Anh calls softly, and the long-haired brunette turns to face her. The older woman recognizes a split-second of lingering in Shizuru's gaze, but keeps silent about it, buying the façade her friend is donning.

"Yes?"

"You think we should introduce Natsuki-san to Sakomizu too? I mean, no offense to Takeda-kun, but Natsuki-san does look a little uncomfortable chatting alone with him, don't you think?"

Shizuru doesn't confess she hasn't realized it at all. She has been looking at the two, but all she has seen were their smiles, not the rigidity of Natsuki's, nor her emeralds training themselves on the Fujino family's naginata behind her partner of conversation.

She knows – sometimes she sees things that are not reality; just figments of her own shattered wishes and hopes.

Including what she sees in Natsuki.

Maybe that is what is truly causing her unease – not Takeda, but herself.

Natsuki is merely an interesting student, someone she holds in high regard, and perhaps a cute new girl to tease.

Objectively, this must be all. She hardly knows the girl beyond her work capabilities after all.

"Of course," she answers Anh with a smile, "Takeda-kun is a very nice person, but sometimes his overwhelmingly warm character can be a little awkward to face at a first meeting, right?"

"Yes! Haha," Anh chuckles, "Oh, and better get Midori's hands off that sake before she starts stripping in our dining room!"

"Don't tell me you just want to get your hands on that sake instead, Anh."

Anh pats the younger woman's back while the two make their way to join the others at the sofa. Alyssa walks off to find Miyu for a second of her soda.

"Oi, Ahn-chan, come driiiiiiiiink with meh!" Midori shouts while grabbing onto Anh. The latter wrestles the sake bottle from her grasp.

"I'll drink alright, as for you, I don't think so," she snickers. Their commotion continues while Shizuru taps Natsuki's shoulder to draw her attention to the other man seated in their vicinity.

"Natsuki, have you met Sakomizu-san yet?"

Natsuki is somewhat relieved that Shizuru rescued her from Takeda's droning conversation while she lands eyes on the chubby man with a brown afro, small spectacles lifted by his fat finger as he surveys the girl in return.

"I am Sakomizu Kaiji, Shizuru-san's colleague at U of Fuuka from the Department of Electrical Engineering. You must be her new student, Natsuki?"

"Yeah. Nice to meet ya, Prof. Sakomizu."

Just when Natsuki is about to reach out her hand for a shake, Midori slams Sakomizu's back, shouting, "Just call him grumpy old Uncle Sako, yo! Ever since his stocks for Sakomizu Logistics plummeted-"

"Midori!" Youko covers her friend's mouth, a bit late but at least manages to stop the remainder of the unintentional insults from being blurted out. She hulls Midori up as best as she can and attempts to make an exit, "If you would please excuse us – I think she needs some cold water on her face."

"Kaiji-san, you know she is sorry. Please forgive her," Haruka mutters while popping chips into her mouth. Yukino chuckles awkwardly into her hands.

"It's fine, Haruka-san. Every time Midori-san has a little too much to drink, the jokes about my family would come. It's nothing new. Just reminds me how scary phiogenealogists can be with their unique expertise…"

"She really doesn't mean it, seeing as she's broke herself," Haruka answers, turning towards Shizuru, "I swear, if you don't apply for some ants, I'll turn into the second Midori and have to part-time at the café downstairs to feed myself."

"It's grants, Haruka-chan."

"I said _Gantz_!"

"No, that's a manga," Natsuki rebukes, "Wait, wait, wait, so what the hell does phiogenealogy have to do with this?"

Phiogenealogy is one of the research focuses of the Graceburt Lab. While the Fujino Lab works with characterizing the function and emission signatures of phiogenes in a bacterial system, the Graceburt Lab strives to understand phiogenes in humans. As phi emissions are unique and carries a certain degree of inheritance properties, analyzing them can give high resolution to a person's lineage.

"Sakomizu-san is from a distinguished lineage of ancient nobility; he volunteered his family's detailed records of descent for their research to see how well their experimental results can match the historical data," Kanzaki explains.

"As did Fujino-san," Sakomizu adds, making Natsuki turn around to face the smiling brunette.

"Ara?"

"You are from **the** Fujino family!?"

"Is there a difference between my family and the other Fujino families?"

Why, of course there is a difference! Far back in Kaze's history, the royal family of Homura claimed descent from the gods that created the world as we know it. The myths go that the Homura's holy fire gave rise to the other elements: water, earth, wind, lightning and wood, and their offspring, each branch clan endowed with affinity to each element, migrated to different regions and founded the various cultures of mankind.

All this Natsuki thinks is bullshit. What is true is that several noble Kazean clans of antiquity are named after these elements. Kazahana of the Wind has ruled over Kaze for the past couple centuries, supported by Fujino of the Wood, known for their agricultural innovations and intelligent business-minds that keep huge plots of arable land under their control throughout history. With the abolition of the monarchy, these ancient surnames are no longer reserved to the nobility, and many commoners have taken them. Nonetheless, some of these clans continue to exist, and some even retain their power from the past, with the Fujino as one of them, still holding the economic lifeline of their nation.

"Hypocrite, Bubuzuke! Look at that naginata still hanging on your wall!"

"Haruka-chan…"

"It is merely a family tradition I happen to enjoy as well. The practise of naginatajutsu is a great way of keeping both the body and mind healthy."

Haruka growls as though Shizuru just suggested that her body and mind were otherwise, or maybe that's really what the sneaky PI is saying.

While Yukino tries to pull Haruka aside, Kanzaki continues the conversation, "Sakomizu of the Water was also one of the clans that supported the Kazahana to power, but they are not as well-known as the Fujino due to their recent decline in power. In the past, they controlled the navy that ensured any form of trade using a water-route must be conducted through them, and they profited from tariffs charged on the shipments. As times changed, more and more trade is being conducted by air, and the opening borders between Kaze and Schwartz has led to a shift in trade with our southern neighbours by a land route. Furthermore, the abolition of the monarchy led to the formation of new armed forces with no restrictions towards civilian enrollment, controlled not by blue-blooded nobility but an elected government. As such, the Sakomizu's monopoly over sea-trade was effectively broken, and they slowly transitioned to becoming the common citizens of today."

"Not a bad thing in my opinion," Sakomizu continues, nodding to the detailed explanation, "although we're having a lot of trouble moving our old assets into new business models. Our logistics establishment is doing quite poorly as compared to the Fujino's land development projects."

"Which is entirely out of my field of expertise, Sakomizu-san," Shizuru answers, "I believe a good portion of the merits go to my cousin, Shizuma."

Natsuki perks. Here is a name she recognizes: Hanazono Shizuma, CEO of the Fujino Corp, a multinational business conglomerate that started out from land development projects in Kaze and Schwartz. Residences, commercial towers, hotels, shopping malls – to call them the owners of every city on the continent won't be too far off the mark, not to mention that a subsidiary of the company also specializes in genetic engineering of food crops, the hinge of existence for the growing population.

The Hanazono is a cadet branch of the Kazahana sharing matrilineage with the Fujino who supplied imperial brides for a good century and a half of the old dynasty – now that she makes this connection, it isn't too hard to believe the richest woman on the planet is her boss' cousin.

"No wonder you are so filthy rich!" Natsuki points an accusing finger at Shizuru who tilts her head in amusement.

"Now, now, filthy rich? That's probably a term I'd reserve for the heiress of a commercial giant, don't you think?" Anh mutters teasingly by her ear before projecting her laughter through the room. It makes her shiver. "Oh, good old Shizuma! Imagine her face if Natsuki-san calls her filthy rich, hahaha…"

"She'd probably attest she enjoys a long bath every night and Natsuki is welcome to join her if she refuses to believe it," Shizuru answers. Natsuki scowls. Is teasing girls a family past-time or something?

"I know, I know," a tipsy Anh stumbles over to the side of the room, "No dinner party is complete without cozy family album time. Natsuki-san, want to see all of Shizuru's embarrassing childhood pictures?"

She doesn't wait for an answer as she returns with a thick photo album. Shizuru places her wine down and sets her slightly aflamed cheeks in her hands, looking over the nostalgic pages with her scarlets. Yukino also peeks over her shoulders while Haruka just shifts her bored gaze to the other side.

"You do realize this is a work gathering, Anh-san?"

"Ara? And making fun of your boss isn't part of your work? I'm surprised!"

With the exception of Shiho, Tate (who is being cornered by the pink-haired demon), and Haruka (who is too busy pretending to be uninterested), everyone crowds around the album and listens to Anh's fervent explanations about each image.

"Hey, hey, remember how the entrance to the old NSERB used to flood like crazy? Heh heh, good times, eh?"

She tugs on Shizuru's arm while the latter also leans into the welcoming warmth of her friend. Those were good times indeed, before _everything_ happened…

"You see, Natsuki," she mutters without looking at the Raven, eyes still captured by the image of her own youth, "I did my grad project with Anh's father, Prof. Nguyen Bao. Haruka-san would've had the chance to meet him."

"My actual supervisor. Of course I met him. As did Sugiura who has probably been around ever since you were wrapping up your own thesis ages ago."

"So Haruka-san is co-supervised?" Takeda asks, "I haven't had the chance to meet Prof. Nguyen though; is he on sabbatical?"

"What Haruka means is she started out with my father, then transferred to Shizuru's lab when he passed away," Anh explains, causing Takeda to drop his gaze to the ground and mumble an apology. The short-haired brunette doesn't seem to mind though, happily downing the sake while continuing to flip through the pages of the album.

"Really, Takeda, you've never heard of the story of how Bubuzuke became a prof at age 26? It's not an everyday occurrence, you know?" Haruka asks, to which Takeda answers with a negative, causing her to sigh.

"Wait, Haruka-san, what story are you about to tell them?" Shizuru asks in a warning tone. Haruka laughs.

"What? I was just gonna tell them how you are a genius and entered university at age 15, finished your doctorate at age 23, did a post-doc at the top-ranked National Academy of Schwartz, and came back to take over your old supervisor's lab. No big deal, right? Unless you want to admit to some underhanded political tricks into scoring a position in the academia? I'm all ears," Haruka explains sarcastically. Shizuru chuckles.

"I did not know you were so interested in my life, Haruka-san. You give me an incentive to apply early for tenure just to add an extra number to your list."

"So that you are out early," Haruka answers with a smirk, "Good choice, but make sure you wait till I graduate first. I don't want to change supervisors more than once."

The two downs a glass of wine and shares a friendly glare at each other before returning to the album. The more Natsuki takes notice of the brunette prof, the more she feels that something is bothering the latter despite the successes in her life. Somehow, her gaze over the pictures is filled not only by a sense of sweet reminiscence, but that of infinite sorrow.

Born to a rich and powerful family, born with an intellect few can ever wish to rival – yet, what is she truly thinking deep down? What are her true desires and ambitions?

At this moment, Anh reaches over to wrap the Fujino's hand with her own. At first glance, it seems to be a random act of affection in her drunken stupor, but Natsuki can see it…

…Shizuru relaxes her shoulders and leans into the warmth of their entwined arms.

_I don't need to know what she's thinking, right?_

_It's not up to me to understand her._

_She already __**has**__ someone who understands._

The doorbell rings to interrupt her thoughts. She shoots up from where she's seated and heads for the door.

"I'll go get it."

"You really don't need to, Natsuki. Miyu-san will…"

Shizuru's voice trails off, unheard as Natsuki has already reached the door and swings it open.

Greeting her is a familiar face, one that reminds her of her true mission:

Tomoe Marguerite.

* * *

**End of Chapter 7** – reviews are highly appreciated. Hope you enjoyed it; tell me what you think!


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